Found and Lost
by ThePQ4
Summary: Focuses around Joanna Darius, a mutant with the power to permanently absorb powers from other mutants. At the Institute she finds not only friendship, but love. COMPLETE Reviews more then welcome.
1. Chapter 1

1Authors Note/Disclaimer: I'm combining several ideas from the comics, the movies, the books, the original animated series, and X-Men: Evolution, as well as my own twisted ideas. Bare with me. (Mostly X-Men: Evolution, as the comic books confuse the hell out of me...but I'm learning!) This will eventually start switching POV's for short periods of time. Watch for it.

Sundry

Prologue

_Joanna's POV_

Close your eyes.

What do you see?

I see doors. Thousands and thousands of doors, constantly opening and closing, shifting around in my head like a combination lock. -Just like everything else in my life; constantly changing and shifting. I never seem to be able to find a place, and a time to just be...me. I never thought I could find anyone who would understand, I thought I was alone in the world, and then I was rescued.

See, I made the mistake of telling my mom and stepfather about my powers. My stepfather, Daniel, talked my Mom into abandoning me. They drugged me, and pushed me from their moving car at sixty-five miles-an-hour into a late-November snow drift. That's where they left me to die: in the snow, by the side of the road. To die, or be killed. I guess they didn't realize the possibility of me being saved.

And so, that's what happened. I kept blacking out because of my injuries, but I remember Storm's white hair, and Cyclops's ruby-quartz visor. I vague remember Jean Grey, carefully using her levitation power to lift me from the snow bank. I felt safer once I was inside of their plane, and I didn't wake up again until a voice inside of my head told me it was time to.

Professor Xavier told me I was at his school for the gift -for mutants, like me. He asked me what my powers were, and I told him. All of them.

When I was through, he whistled, and leaned back in his chair, "That's quite a sundry. I think I rather like that, don't you?"

"Like what?" I asked.

"Sundry."

And so my 'real' name, my mutant name became Sundry, while my human name, Joanna Darius, was displaced for personal use.

Chapter One

When I was well enough, and my regenerative power had healed my wounds and bruises. I was given a room assignment with Rogue, who at first seemed very stand-off, and stuck up. Then I realized it was because of her power. Rogue can't have physical contact with people. Her power is to drain people of their life-source, or in the case of mutants, she can "borrow" their powers for a short time. It's funny because I have the same power, except with the detail that I absorb powers, and keep them. My acquired "sundry" keeps me in check when I get into contact with people. My power gives me unlimited other powers, and I've acquired quite a few.

One of the first things we found out is that Rogue can only borrow my 'active' power. For example, if I'm using a telepathic power, she can borrow it, if I don't have an active power, she can touch me and neither of us suffers any damage, as if we were both normal people.

The first power I lusted after was Nightcrawler's teleporting powers (or as he liked to call it, 'bamfing"). I didn't have to touch him long to get it, either, and it was a total accidental-on-purpose that I got it in the first place. We had been in the Danger Room, my first week at the school, and Nightcrawler (Kurt) sort of...bamfed, right on top of me. My hand barely touched his skin for ten seconds, and I had absorbed the power. He blinked at me, his head and tail-tip spinning.

"Kurt!" I asked, after he had fallen back, and I could feel the power filtering through my body. "Are you OK?"

"Oh yah! I'm fine!" He grinned at me. "How are you?"

"I'm OK." I helped him up. "Try and watch where you're going next time."

Rogue came over to us then, her arms crossed. "Sundry...did you just absorb his power?" She seemed disappointed.

"It was an accident. I can't help it." I shrugged.

Logan, Wolverine, tried to get us back into formation. It wasn't until later that I got to actually try the new power. Rogue watched over my test quietly, ready to go for help in case I got stuck in a wall or something. It worked well though, and I was pleased.

After I absorbed Kurt's power though, I started wearing gloves, just in case. I had to be careful that I didn't absorb the wrong power.

My day's were usually basic, normal, teen stuff. With the exception of the Danger Room training sessions. They were to come to good use, soon before I, or anyone, expected. My skills weren't exactly up-to-par, but with my assorted powers, I could kick-ass with the best of them. Or so I found out.

Rogue, Bobby (Iceman), Kitty, and I, along with Storm (as our chaperone) were at the mall for a shoe sale (well, Bobby was along for the ride). We hadn't been there long when I noticed Logan standing by one of the vender's counters. I'll be the first to admit that I have a huge crush on Logan. I mean, what's not to like? He's cute, charming, dangerous, and did I mention drop-dead-sexy?

As I was saying, I saw Logan. So of course, I wanted to strike up a conversation. Only...come to find out, that it wasn't Logan. I realized this when I touched his hand as I was flirting with him, without gloves. I jolt shook up my arms, rattling me for a moment. Logan looked worried.

"Are you alright?" He asked.

"Oh, yea. I'm fine." I shook my head, flexing my fingers, and glancing over at the clock. "Oh, wow! Look at the time! I better go regroup. Why don't you come with me?"

Logan declined, as I knew he would. I then suggested that we meet for lunch, and he agreed.

When I met up with Storm, I told her what had happened. She seemed worried, and placed a call to Professor Xavier. There was backup sent to the mall: Cyclops, Jean Grey, and the real Logan. I was hoping that they were smart enough to come in on the other entrance on the other side of the mall. Jean Grey pulled me aside when the three of them arrived. She informed me of their plan. I was to approach the fake-Logan, pretending as though I still had no idea that it wasn't the real Logan. If I got into any trouble, they would be there to back me up.

"So in other words, I go in and flirt with this...person, and pray that I don't get kidnaped?" I asked.

"...Sort of." She told me. "Just, act like you normally would."

Right...easier said then done.

I met 'Logan' at a table near the back of the food court. I made light conversation, asking him what brought him to the mall, and he asked about school. After about ten minutes, he asked me if I wanted a ride back to the school -that was the ploy he was using. He was after me.

"No, I better ride back with Storm." I motioned behind me. "It might look bad if I-."

"What? Don't you trust me?" He grabbed my upper arm, and yanked me closer. "Are you afraid of me, Sundry?"

My eyes got large, and widened. He knew that I knew, but Cyclops and Jean were already moving closer. Wolverine was coming up from behind. He grabbed the guy first by the back of the jacket. Cyclops had his finger on the side of his goggles and an itchy trigger finger.

"Mystique." Wolverine's hands gripped around her throat, and I tore away from her. The form of the offensive perpetrator peeled away to reveal a blue-skinned woman with short, red hair. She grinned maliciously at Wolverine, and blew him a kiss. Then she flipped out of his hands, and morphed quickly into another form as she blended in with the mall crowd.

"You alright, kid?" Logan put a hand on my shoulder.

"I'm fine." I crossed my arms, watching as Mystique disappeared.

"We'd better get you back to the manor."

"I'm not sure what it is that Magneto wants with you, Sundry." Professor Xavier was pondering. "I think it's safe to say, however, that you should stick around the school more, and limit your outside-activities, alright?"

"Alright." I nodded. I wasn't about to disagree. I didn't want to see more of this Mystique woman anyway. She seemed to be very well acquainted with all of the X-Men though.

"Be careful, Joanna. It would be a shame to loose such a gifted young woman, such as yourself." Professor Xavier patted my hand before letting me go.

I ran into Logan in the hallway. He stopped me with a hand on the shoulder. "How you doing, kid?"

"I'm fine." I shrugged. I wasn't sure if I liked all of the attention I was getting. I wanted to figure out this Magneto guy's plan, and why he wanted me. He obviously knew that I could absorb powers, but what if that wasn't the power he wanted? If that was the case, he could have easily gotten any of the others that I had gotten powers from. So why me? "Just confused."

"Anything I can help you out with?" He asked. He actually sounded sincere.

"No, I'll be fine, but thanks." I smiled, and ducked into the room I shared with Rogue. She was sitting cross legged on her bed, homework spread out across in front of her.

"Hi." She smiled. "Can you help me out with this?" She looked with loathing at one of her text books.

I helped her out, my brain still on Logan. This was more then a school-girl crush, and I felt awful about that. No one had any idea how old he was, or where he came from, and yet, I felt so attracted to him. Everything about him. A man who could well be older then my Grandfather, and all I could think about since that incident at the mall, was him. Not necessarily sleeping with him, but I'll admit that ran though my mind a lot as well.

I wasn't ever actually alone with Logan until a few days later. Storm and Cyclops had gone on a mission while Professor Xavier and Jean were at a conference in Washington. Logan had been left to watch over the students. I was sitting in the rec room on the couch, flipping through the channels. He leaned in the doorway when I had settled on the Sunday Night Sex Talk on Oxygen.

"Interesting choice." His voice growled behind me. A blink from me, flipped to cartoons.

"I thought everyone else was asleep." I hugged a throw pillow, tucking my feet under me, while he made himself comfortable on the other side of the couch. He picked up the remote and flipped it back.

"No, really. It's an interesting choice for a seventeen year old girl on a late Sunday night." He raised an eyebrow at me. "You watch this often?"

"Often enough that I've seen this episode." I blinked my eyes again and flipped through the channels again. "Something in particular you'd care to watch?"

"They can't show what I like on television -for free anyway."

I stopped and looked at him. A smirk crossed his lips, and turned away again.

"Is there somethin' wrong, kid?" He asked, touching my foot. His hands were warm, and kind of rough against my skin.

"No, I'm fine." I said, moving my foot away, onto the floor. "I should go to bed. Goodnight, Logan."

I was already half way out of the room when he called me back. He got up from his seat, and took my wrists in his hands. Then he tugged me closer to him, kissing me. We both savored the moment for an extra second or so.

"I shouldn't have done that." His voice was low and raspy. "I'm supposed to be watching over you, not molesting you."

"I wasn't complaining."He released my wrists, and took a step back from me. "I better go to bed."

"Good night, Joanna.."

"G' night."

I saw Rogue the next morning in the kitchen, and she tapped one of her boots against the back of my leg. "What were you thinking, last night, Joanna?"

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

"You and Mr. Logan. It's all over school."

"What?" I asked, pulling her into a corner. "What about Logan and me?"

"That you kissed him in the corridor last night when everyone was either away or asleep. What was it like?" She asked, a grin spreading across her lips.

"This isn't funny, Rogue. Who told?"

"What's the matter, Jo?" She asked. "It's not a big deal, and I swear that Professor X won't hear about it from me." She crossed her fingers over her chest. "I promise you."

"Who told you?"

"Some of the boys were talking about it in the hallway, and I overheard."

"What boys?" I asked, just as Logan walked into the kitchen for a hot cup of coffee with the paper under his arm. He didn't take notice of the two of us, instead opting to pour his coffee and take a seat by the window.

"I don't remember who all was there." Rogue shrugged. "Let it go, Jo. It's not a big deal, okay? You're a very, very lucky girl."

"What if he finds out that everyone knows? He's going to think that I told all of you!"

Rogue looked down at me. "I really don't think so, Joanna. Relax."

I grabbed a muffin, and a juice box. "I gotta go finish getting ready. I'll see you in class."

I ate my muffin on my way up the stairs to get my backpack. Some of the people I passed whistled at me, and patted my back. I was gritting my teeth until I reached my room. I leaned against the door once it was shut and sighed. Going to school was going to be hell. Everyone was sure to know about Logan and me kissing the night before. Part of me wanted the floor to open up and swallow me, the other part of me of was talking a calming voice, it was going to be OK. All I had to do was just survive through the day, and just hope that it wasn't as bad as it seemed. I mean, I'm seventeen years old, I'm almost an adult. I'm a mature young woman, and I can take care of myself. If I wanted to kiss a much, much older man, well...so be it! ...Unless I can't, in which case I am royally fucked.


	2. Chapter 2

1Chapter Two

I was introduced to the newest member of Xavier school when I got to class at the local high school. He was a cute, blonde boy wearing a heavy trench coat, and a dark green sweater.

"Joanna, this is Warren Worthington III." Rogue introduced him to me.

"Hi." I shook his hand, and turned to Rogue. "Have you heard anything more about...you know?"

"No, I haven't. I'm sure it's dying down now. You can relax. You know these guys. They'll talk about anything until it's good and dead."

I sighed.

"Am I missing something?" Warren asked.

"No, of course not. Just teenaged drama." I waved it off, and sat down in a chair.

I got to know Warren over the next week, or as we came to call him, Angel. At a point think I saw that Logan seemed jealous almost. He seemed to ride Warren harder, and me a little easier in our Danger Room exercises -which Warren was amazing at.

Warren has wings. They're amazing to look at. They're wide, white, and feathered, and I love that he can fly. I hate that I can't take on physical power. Being able to fly without having to use my transformation powers would be very cool, and I'd be afraid to absorb Storm's power, and control wind current to fly. I'd probably mess it up.

On Friday night, I sat on the couch, several of us taking up the room. Warren and I sat on the couch, Rogue sat in Bobby's lap, in a chair at our right, while Kurt was on the floor in front of Kitty's chair on our left. My head was on my shoulder, there being an acceptable distance between Warren and I. Our hands were on the cushion between us, close...dangerously close, if I hadn't been wearing my gloves.

The television was playing some sitcom, but I think we were all more interested in our heated argument. It had started with Rogue bringing up the subject of Logan and my kissing, again. Kitty, Kurt, and Bobby all said it was wrong and immoral for me to be even interested in a man so much older then I, with so much about him unknown. Rogue and Angel sided with me that it wasn't about his age. It was him. And of course, I had to correct them that I hadn't kissed him. He kissed me.

Because it's true, I swear. -Hey, have I given you any reason to doubt me yet? I thought not.

"It is perfectly acceptable in today's society for a man to date younger women. I mean, look at all of the celebrities who have been dating younger?" Warren said. "Taboo isn't taboo anymore."

"OK, what about girls dating younger guys?" Kitty asked. "Would you date a woman Mr. Logan's age?"

"Seeing as how his age is undetermined, I don't see how that applies." Angel scoffed.

"And besides," I added. "Women don't age as well as men. Can't we drop this?" I asked, standing.

"Yes, yes, but don't think you are getting away so easily." Kurt waved disapprovingly at me.

"Of course not, Kurt. Does anyone want anything from the kitchen?" I asked, backing slowly towards the door.

I took orders, and walked towards the kitchen. I had just closed the refrigerator door when I noticed Logan leaning in the doorway.

"I've heard rumors, kid." His voice was rough, and his arms were crossed over his chest.

"I swear that I didn't have anything to do with it, Logan." I set down the cans on the counter.

"I know you didn't. I did." He said, uncrossing his arms and entering the kitchen. "I had a chat with Jean, who told Scott, who told just about everyone."

"Well at least I know who to blame now." He was standing in front of me, his thumbs looped into the pockets on his jeans. I tapped his shin with my sneaker. "Way to go, we're talk of the town. Congrats."

"It wasn't supposed to spread like wild fire. I just wanted advice, and Jean seemed like my best bet."

"Advice about what?"

"About you, actually."

"Oh? And what did Jean say?"

"Who cares what Jean said?" He raised an eyebrow.

"I take it, it wasn't what you wanted to hear?" I asked.

"Not exactly." It came out as more of a growl and he leaned forward. A whistle from the doorway stopped him before he actually kissed me. We both turned, everyone from the living room crowded in the doorway. I saw a glint of one of Warren's wings, the only clue that he had been present.

"We got worried when you were not coming back." Kurt was grinning.

"I'm real sorry...really, continue with what y'all were doing." Rogue rounded the crowd away from the door. "Sorry again. Take yer time."

Logan took a step back. "Maybe we should do this later when we can talk in private?"

"Okay." I nodded. "Tomorrow, sometime?"

"Works for me. We'll find each other." He growled. He kissed me on the cheek, and was gone.

I sunk back onto the couch a minute later, handing everyone their soda's. I was left with an extra. "Where's Warren?" I asked.

"I don't know... He didn't come back in with us." Rogue shrugged.

"I changed my mind, Joanna." Kurt raised his can of soda. "Maybe you're right. It didn't look as wrong as I thought it would."

"...Thanks Kurt. I think."

I knocked on the door to Warren and Kurt's room later, when I knew Kurt wouldn't be around.

"Come in."

"Hi." I opened the door. Warren was lying on his bed reading a magazine.

"Oh, hi." He closed the magazine with a ruffle of pages, and sat up. "What's up?"

"Nothing...I just... Well, you didn't come back after, you know, and... I just wanted to see if you were okay."

"Yea, I'm fine." He nodded.

I bit on the inside of my cheek, and I closed the door. "No, really...what's the matter?" I sat on the edge of the chair by the end of this bed. "You can tell me."

"It's nothing...I don't know why it bothers me." He lay back down, reopening the magazine.

"What? Warren, talk to me. I thought we were becoming friends."

He dropped the magazine, "We were, I mean, we are. I just...I saw you with him. I thought...I thought I could handle that. I really like you, and...seeing him about to kiss you... I just...I didn't know I'd care so much."

"God, if you get this worked up about him almost kissing me, imagine the pain you'd be suffering if he'd actually gotten that far."

"You must think I'm the stupidest guy you've ever met." He buried his head in his hands. "God, I am such a loser."

"No, no...you're sweet." I smiled, moving onto the bed beside him. "I really like you too...but...Logan...he's just...he's been in my head since I got here... I gotta see what it is about him."

"I understand." Warren nodded. "Do what you have to do." He kissed me on the cheek.

"Goodnight, Warren."

"Goodnight, Joanna."

Late on Saturday night, I ended up down stairs, flipping through the channels on TV. Nothing was ever on. I don't know why I bothered.

"Don't you ever sleep, Kid?" Logan's gruff voice was in the doorway.

"Yea, sometimes." I turned around, leaning against the back of the couch. "Don't you?"

"Not when I'm the only adult in the castle." His voice was laced with sweet sarcasm.

I nodded. "Probably a good thing... You never know what these people are really up to."

"They know better then to fool around when I'm in charge." He sat down on the couch beside me. "Don't they?"

I shrugged, and smirked, "They might...and then again, some of them know how to shut off the security camera's in the Danger Room."

He let out a snort. "All the luck to 'em, truly."

I smiled, and went back to flipping through the channels.

"Don't you ever settle on something?"

"Nothing is interesting." I told him, pausing.

"Then why don't you shut it off, and read a book, or something."

"This is more fun." I nudged his knee.

"I can think of quite a few things that are a hell of a lot more fun then this." He grumbled.

I flirted, "Anything that takes two?" I raised an eyebrow.

He smirked at me, "This is gonna make me some kind of glutton for punishment, isn't it?" And then he kissed me, softly at first, then harder.

Then he made a line of them down my jaw, across my throat. His hands were pulling me up into his lap, tugging at the back of my shirt. My hands went first for his hair, pulling his head lightly back, bring his lips back to mine. Then they slipped down to his hips, where I steadied myself.

He grunted, and pulled away, "We're gonna get caught, aren't we?"

"It's highly likely." I nodded.

"Then we probably shouldn't do this, huh?" He asked.

"No...we shouldn't." I sighed, falling back onto the cushion beside him. "Even though that isn't what either of us wants."

He kissed me on the cheek, "I'm not saying we don't pursue this later, Jo. I'm sayin' we can't pursue this now. You're still only seventeen, and if the Professor ever found out...I don't want to think about what he might do to me."

"You could always tell him I was a willing party." I raised an eyebrow.

"Oh yea, he'd love that one." He scoffed.

"So, no more late night's?" I asked.

"No more late nights."

"No more kitchen incidences?"

"Thank god, no." He shook his head.

"Alright." I stood up. "You know where to find me, should you change your mind, and I'm free."

"A girl like you will get grabbed up fast, I won't waste my breath." He winked at me.

"Good night, Mr. Logan." I kissed him, both of us savoring our last like we had our first.

"Good night, Joanna."

Rogue was still awake when I opened the door to the room, "Oh, hey. You're back early."

"Yea, well...I talked to Logan." I shrugged, kicking off my slippers. "We decided it wasn't worth it to risk anything."

"Aw, I was rooting for you." She smiled across the room at me. "I'm sure Kurt will be very disappointed when he hears."

"Warren won't."

"What about Warren?"

"He likes me."

"Well of course he likes you. Everyone likes you."

"No, no...I mean _likes_ me."

"Oh...Oh, well, I knew that." She shrugged. "'Specially after he ran away from the kitchen yesterday. He's got if for you. You go for the wings?"

"I go for the wings." I nodded.

"I don't know...they might get mighty cumbersome." She shrugged.

"Oh, Rogue." I sighed. "We're seventeen, and in a highly guarded building. I doubt anything inside the bedroom will be happening soon."

"I wasn't even thinking about that..."

I threw a magazine from my bed at her, and she ducked, laughing, "Rogue!"

I slept in on Sunday morning. The weekend was going by to fast, and I didn't want it to be over yet. I got out of bed, and dressed a little after 10:30. By then, half of the students were either at the Chapel or milling the school, depressed about the weekend being nearly over.

I was sitting on the counter in the kitchen eating a muffin, and reading the comic's when Warren walked into the kitchen.

"Good morning." He nodded at me. "Sleep well?"

"Well enough." I shrugged. "I don't want my weekend to be over yet."

"Savoring your last hours then?"

"Something like that." I smiled.

Logan entered a minute later after Warren had made himself comfortable at the table.

"Get off the counter." He growled, tapping my thigh with his knuckles. "People eat there." He whipped open the refrigerator door and took out a soda.

I jumped down, leaning against the cabinet doors instead.

"Have you told anyone?"

"Only Rogue." I shrugged.

"What about..." He nodded over his shoulder at Warren."

"No, but I'm sure he's not completely retarded, and is getting the wrong idea." I threw away the wrapper from my muffin and teleported back on top of the counter in front of him.

"You and your new powers..." He growled. "You just like to show off, don't you?"

"Yea, me and my big head."

He grunted. "I have things to do...and I meant it about getting off the counter."

I grinned at this retreating back.

"I take it all is well on the Joanna-Logan front." Warren peered over his book.

"Yea...but it's not like that." I told him, jumping off the counter to join him at the table.

"Well then, please... fill me in."

"We've decided not to risk it all."

"So you're free as a bird?"

"...So to speak, yea."

"How about going out with me then?" He asked. "I can loose the wings if you like...they're almost completely unnoticeable under a jacket.

"Sure." I nodded. "Where to?"


	3. Chapter 3

1Chapter Three.

Warren and I actually waited quite some time for our first kiss. That Sunday morning, we walked around Bayville, and discussed where we had come from. I told him about my Mom and step-dad, and he told me that his parents had died, and he'd been 'saved' from a Prep School somewhere. He was 17, almost 18, and wasn't really looking forward to going to a college. He was well off, and could afford to go anywhere he wanted, but he had decided that his mutation was cumbersome enough to render him a recluse.

"You shouldn't shut yourself out of the world just because you have wings, Warren." I told him, slipping my arm around his. "I mean, I could never shut myself out."

"Yea, but you don't have feathers." He raised an eyebrow.

"That's true...but look at my powers." I raised my hands at him. "Look at what I can do to people."

"That's true." He nodded. "You can only take physiological powers...you can't take physical ones."

"Exactly." I sighed. "Except for that morphing power...I haven't really figured that one out yet." I shook my head. "I only used it once."

Monday morning, I rode with Warren in his car to school with Rogue and Kurt. He wasn't as anal about his '88 Corvette as Scott was about his car.

"A car is a car." He shrugged. "It gets me from point A to point B. I don't care what it looks like."

"Isn't it uncomfortable? Being cooped behind the wheel like that?" I asked, looking at him from the passenger seat.

"They're very flexible." He assured me, pulling the car out of the garage and taking off out of the gate.

The week passed by slowly, with homework clogging up our time. On Wednesday night, a group of us got together to study for exams before Christmas break, only a week away. Some of us would be going home for the holidays, but many of us would be celebrating at the Manor, trying to ignore the fact that our families had died, or abandoned us (as the case may be).

I thought about writing my parents. The thought had crossed my mind many times. To let my Mom know that I was still alive, and to let my Dad know what my Mom had tried to do to me. He would have stuck up for me, if he and my Mom were still together. At least, I hope that he would have. In the end, I decided not to. No contact was better then sending a letter and having it returned, or receiving no correspondence back at all. My Stepfather would probably bar my Mother from answering, even if she wanted to. That's just he kind of guy he is.

All of my friends were staying behind. No one had parents to go home to but Kitty, whose parents were going on a cruise. She seemed perfectly content to stay behind though. I envy her.

On Saturday before vacation, Warren and I were up late watching a movie on television. Storm had been by twice, and Logan once that we had noticed. We were just sitting on the couch, watching the movie, doing mini-commentary, and sharing a bag of chips. The only light came from the television, and the dim lights of the hall. I rested my head against his shoulder and after a few moments of hesitation, he rested his cheek against the top of my head. We stayed like that for awhile, watching the movie until the end credits rolled.

Warren moved first, moving to stand and reach for the remote. I took my time, stretching out my fingers in front of me. Once the TV was off, he reached out his hand for mine and we walked upstairs together to our rooms. He stopped with me outside of my and Rogue's room.

"Well, that was fun. I'll see you in the morning." He kissed my cheek and squeezed my hand.

"G'night Warren." I caught his lips in our first real kiss. After we pulled apart, he gave me another, a shorter one.

"Good night, Jo."

I could tell he was red and blushing as he walked down the hall towards his room.

Meanwhile, Christmas was fast approaching. Sunday, I made a special trip to the mall with Rogue (who wasn't at all pleased with the crowd, but bore with it for me), and several others from the school. Warren stayed behind, claiming that he had done all of his shopping already and most of it was mail-order. Rogue and I stayed close together, going from store to store.

"I want something personal for Warren..." I said, when we had entered an Egyptian theme store. I was perusing their collection of daggers and swords when Rogue caught my arm.

"I don't think you're going to find anything for him here, Jo. Yourself maybe, but not for Warren." Rogue shook her head.

"I don't know what to get him!" I sighed. "And don't tell anyone, but...I really want to get something for Logan too." I bit my lip. "Isn't that horrible?"

"No, it's not horrible. It's nice. I'm sure Logan would appreciate it."

"Well he's probably a hell of a lot easier to shop for." I sighed. "I don't even know what Warren likes."

"You could get him a watch." Rogue shrugged. "Or a sweater."

I scrunched my nose up at her.

"Or maybe not." She shrugged.

We walked around the mall some more. I actually bought Logan a sweater...a very dark green solid colored cashmere that I got on a discount rack (a very lucky find). I also managed to get away from Rogue long enough to buy her a long sleeved fishnet jacket she had liked, and a pair of long black gloves. I had gifts for everyone, including gifts for my parents, which I was still hesitant to send, and I hadn't found a single thing for Warren.

"Why don't you pick out some movies or something he might like? Some CD's?" Rogue asked as we passed stores, moving towards the exit. "Hell, buy him a damn coffee mug...something."

"Nothing seems right." I sighed.

"How about a book? A magazine subscription?" She was ticking things off of her fingers. "Oh my gosh! This is going to sound totally cheesy, but why don't you buy a really nice frame, and you can give him one of those pictures we took the other night of us all on in the rec room?"

It was my last resort. And it wasn't that corny... I bought two nice silver frames, and walked out of the mall with Rogue.

The week passed slowly, getting out of school on Wednesday. By then, the manor was nearly empty. I was wrapping things in boxes in my room, including the gifts for my parents in plain brown boxes with address labels, just waiting to be taken to the post office. I'd even forced myself to write a little note, and taped it to the inside of the box...just chit-chat, how I was doing, where I was at, hoped everyone was well, that sort of thing. The two boxes were pushed underneath my bed, where they would sit for awhile. I wondered if anyone at home missed me.

By Thursday, the 23rd, the tree in the rec-room was packed underneath with gifts. Warren had gotten several boxes in the mail, all of which he wrapped in the dead of night and snuck under the tree, way in the back. He liked to hide the fact that he was well off, but we all knew he'd been a little extravagant.

On Friday, there was some caroling, and those of us who were left got outside for a snowball fight. Warren had an unfair advantage being able to pelt us all from the air, but it was fun. I even managed to hit him a few times with my telekinetic power, and dodged a few with my transporting.

We were all allowed to open one gift that night. I shrugged when Professor Xavier asked me which one I wanted to open. "Just hand me one." I told him.

"Open mine." Warren pulled a forest green bag one of the branches in the back. "Then you'll have it tomorrow morning."

I raised an eyebrow, and pulled a long black jewelers case from the bag, and opened it with a crack. Inside was a silver tennis bracelet, decorated with tiny emerald studs, and in another smaller box, I found matching post earrings.

"Thank you, Warren. They're gorgeous." I kissed his cheek.

"You're welcome." He tapped my leg with his knee shyly.

Logan opened his gift from me, that I had totally sent anonymously. I didn't want anyone to get the wrong idea. We'd kissed a few times, that was all...but that didn't mean I didn't still think about him once in a while. He raised an eyebrow at me when he opened it, and I looked away, leaning my forehead against Warren's shoulder.

"Well, thanks...to whoever sent it." His voice rumbled past me. My face was pink, and I knew it.

Rogue and I retired to our room early with glasses of eggnog, and sat on our beds talking. I was still holding the bag with the gift from Warren in it.

"Do you think Logan knew it was from you?" Rogue asked.

"Yea...he probably did." I sighed. "I hope he doesn't get the wrong idea about it."

"What is he supposed to think? You like him, you can't help that." She smiled.

"Ugh, don't make it worse. It's awful of me." I hid my face in hands for a moment, and then took my bracelet and earrings out again. "Warren is such a great and wonderful person... How can I like someone like Logan as much as I do? I mean, he's old, kind of dangerous, I don't know where he comes from, or have any chance of a future with him...and yet..he's got that sex appeal..."

"So does Warren" Rogue commented. "The Dude's got wings."

I laughed. "Go to sleep, Rogue. We'll talk more in the morning." I switched off my bedside lamp.

"G' night, Jo." Rogue switched off hers as well, and we both settled back into bed. I clutched the bracelet box to my chest, and stared at the earring box on my bedside table in the dark.

Warren was such a great guy...so why did I still have these feelings for Logan?

Christmas morning I was woken up by Kurt jumping on my bed, "Wake up, sleepy heads! It's Christmas!" He flipped back my covers with his tail as he jumped over to Rogue's bed, shaking her awake as well.

I mumbled and pulled the covers back up over my shoulders.

"Now, now...that's no way to act on Christmas." Warren crawled onto my bed, against the wall, facing me. He knocked his knee against mine a few times. "C' mon...Professor Xavier won't let the rest of us open gifts until everyone is downstairs."

I grumbled again, and rolled over.

He caught my shoulder mid roll, and kissed me.

"Nice try." I told him, "But you're gonna have to do better then that to get me out of this bed.

"Oh, I see." He kissed me again on my lips, then up my jaw where he nibbled on the top of my ear. Then he made little piggy noises in my ear, and snorted his way down my throat, pressing little kisses down my neck. I laughed, and pushed him away.

"Okay, okay...I'll get up." I opened my eyes and looked at him. He was only wearing a pair of pajama pants. His chest was sort of a golden color, like the rest of him. His hair was wet from a shower, and he smelled of soap, and heat.

"You're warm." I told him.

"Really, 'cause I feel kinda cold." He pulled the covers up over his own shoulders, and put his arms around my waist, pulling me closer to him. "You know how you get really cold after a shower, even though you're actually pretty warm."

"Mm." I took a deep breath, filing away the scent in my brain. "You smell fabulous."

"I used that stuff from that gift basket Rogue got me."

"Thank you Rogue..." I commented.

"Huh?" Rogue had finally decided to join the real world, Kurt still prodding her.

"Get up, sleepy." Kurt poked her for a final time, before jumping off of the bed onto the floor. "Everyone else is already awake, and downstairs."

"Well, we better go then, huh?" I asked.

"We'll meet you downstairs." Warren gave me a kiss, before crawling out of the bed.

The two boys left, and Rogue and I savored our last few seconds in bed before pulling on robes and slippers and making the trek downstairs.

Once we were all situated around the tree in the Rec room, those of us left-behind students, and our Professors (I was inwardly pleased to see Logan in the sweater I bought him, he looked even better then I thought he would). I sat on the floor with Warren, against the wall away from the crowd, watching everyone open their gifts. Storm, who was passing out what was under the tree, had Kurt bring us a large pile to divide between the two of us.

While everyone else ripped their gifts open, I slid my fingernail under each flap, carefully unwrapping each box, and opening each bag. I acquired quite a pile in a short space of time receiving books, gloves, sweaters, school supplies (I got some cute notebooks, and a pack of pens from Storm, who had heard me complaining), bath kits (the ultimate "I don't know what the hell to buy you, so here you go!" gift), and I got one more piece of jewelry from Warren. The pennant necklace that matched the gift from the night before.

"You went all out, didn't you?" I asked, kissed his cheek. "Thank you, they're all beautiful."

"Then you'll wear them?" He asked.

"Of course." I smiled.

"Will you wear them to dinner tonight?"

"...Is there something special for dinner?" I asked.

"I want to take you out."He smiled. "Just the two of us."

"Okay." I nodded. "Is this formal, or casual?"

"Semi-formal... Look...nice." He told me.

"Don't I always look nice?" I batted my eyelashes at him.

"Hrm...you look even better when you're all...frumpy."

"I look frumpy?" I raised an eyebrow. "Not exactly what a girl wants to hear, Warren."

"You know what I mean." He kissed me, before leaning back against the wall.

Rogue, Kurt, and Kitty made their way back towards us.

"So, what did you get?" Rogue asked, sitting down on the floor in front of us. "Anything extravagant?"

"Only from Mr. Worthington the third here." I handed her the jeweler's box.

"This is gorgeous, Warren. Where did you find this stuff?" Rogue had received a silver chain necklace "X", along with everyone else on the team -except for me of course.

"Some catalog." He shrugged, embarrassed.

"Well, they're wonderful." Rogue gave me back my jeweler's box. "Thanks, Warren."

Later I was sitting on my bed, looking at the boxes for my parents. Warren and I were leaving for New York in a few minutes to go to a restaurant I was very familiar with -only a block away from my father's house. My mother lived in the city as well, four blocks over.

"Are you ready to go?" Warren asked, leaning in the doorway. I was dressed in a short black skirt, black lace up boots, a white lace-up shirt, and a red jacket over it, as well as necklace, earrings, and the bracelet.

"Yea, just let me grab my coat." I moved to push the boxes under my bed.

"Do you want to drop those off?" Warren asked.

"No, no... I don't think so." I moved to the closet, taking out my long black coat. "Should I wear gloves?"

"Jo...You should at least try. It's Christmas." Warren stood in front of me. "C'mon...It'll be quick and painless. You can teleport onto the front steps, drop off the gift, ring the doorbell if you want, and teleport back into the car."

I looked at him, and then the boxes. I want contact with my parents so badly, but I was so afraid of being rejected again. Finally, I nodded, "Okay."

We parked in front of my Mother's house first about an hour later. I could hear music, and tinkling laughter of my Mother's Annual Christmas Party.

"I'll be right back." I bamfed out of the car after Warren had rolled down his window to release the smoke. I landed with a thud on the porch, and set down the box on the mat. I rang the bell twice in quick succession and teleported back into the car.

There was still smoke on the steps when my Mother opened the door. She looked around confused for a moment, then saw the box. I watched from the car as she picked it up, and pressed her lips tightly together in sadness when she saw who it was from. She stepped out into the porch light, looking around, hoping I was there. I was very glad that Warren's car had tinted windows. I put a hand on Warren's leg to stop him when he reached for the ignition.

"Just hold on." I told him, watching my Mother sit on the porch swing and open the box, right there. Warren held my hand. She read the note, and picked up the bright red sweater, and then she read the note again. I could read it with her.

_Dear Mom, _

_You always said you looked best in red, so when I saw this, I just knew it was totally you. I'm safe, in case you were worried or anything. I was saved by these people...the X-Men. I'm living with them right now, in Bayville. I'm getting to learn some really cool things, and I've even got some new powers, if that idea doesn't freak you out to badly. _

_I just wanted to let you know that I was alright. Send my best wishes to the family._

_Joanna._

"Go." I told him, looking away from the porch.

My Mother looked up from the box when she heard the engine turn on, and Warren pulled away from the curb. I listened just long enough to hear her yell my name.

Warren turned onto a side street, towards my Dad's house, "Are you alright?"

"Yea, I'm fine." I nodded. "Just a little more emotional then I thought it would be."

Warren parked at the curb. I wasn't surprised to see that all of the lights were off. I stepped out of the car with my second box, and jogged up the walk as fast as my boots would let me. I was stopped like a deer in headlights when the porch light flicked on, and my father stepped out, the phone in his hands.

I noticed right away that he was holding that telephone. My mother had probably called him.

"You weren't supposed to see me." I told him. I watched him hang up on my whimpering mother, and cross his arms over his chest. He was just looking at me. I was very glad he wasn't trying to hug me.

My parents split up when I was three, they had never been married. My Dad dated, but confessed that my Mother was truly his one-and-only love. My Mom of course, had remarried, but never had any more kids. They were actually on very good terms with each other, never angry or bitter. They'd broken up for my sake, thinking that it was better for me to grow up in a separated family then in a family that fought a lot, which my parents had done when they were together.

"How are you?" He finally asked.

"I'm fine. I'm living in Bayville. The address and everything, is in here." I pushed the box at him. "I got you a gift."

"Your Mother left Daniel, you know. She wants you to come home."

"I'm not ready to come home. I can't. I'm happy where I am right now." I shook my head. I started to back up down the stairs, and he stopped me.

"Wait, why don't you come in, for a cup of coffee, or something?"

"I really can't, Warren got reservations, he's waiting for me in the car."

"Warren?" My father raised his eyebrow, ready to play the father-figure.

"He's a boy from...school."

My father nodded, smiling, "Alright... Just...don't be stranger, okay?" He joined me on the steps, and pulled me into a hug. "You have a home to come to, any time you want... And call your Mom, I know she wants to talk to you. Merry Christmas."

I nodded, "Merry Christmas, Dad", and jogged back to the car as fast as I could.

"Are you okay?" Warren asked, gunning the car onto the street.

"I'm fine...I just...I didn't want to have to talk to...anyone." We parked for a final time in front of the restaurant, and Warren put an arm around me, kissing my forehead, "C' mon, lets go eat."

I remained in the car for a moment until Warren came around and opened the door for me.

"You didn't have to do that." I smiled, as he helped me out of the car.

"I was born to be your slave." He told me, holding my hand as we walked into the restaurant.


	4. Chapter 4

1Chapter Four

Warren and I didn't get back to Bayville, and into our own beds and until late that night. Rogue was already in bed, asleep, so I changed in the dark, and dropped my clothes across the back of a chair to be dealt with in the morning. Then I crawled into bed, prepared for sleep.

It seemed like I had just gotten to sleep when I was being shaken awake by Storm. She told me that Professor Xavier wanted me to accompany her and Jean on an emergency mission. She said it would be a good chance to practice in the field.

I didn't complain, but got dressed and soon found myself buckled into the X-Jet. Once we were in the air, Jean filled me in on the details. A little girl named Jessika Smithe had gone missing. Her parents had placed a frantic call to Professor Xavier, hoping that he could help them find their mutant daughter. He located her in a Church outside of Albany, with Cerebro.

"What's her power?" I asked, looking at the little girls picture.

"Premonition. We have a good source saying that Magneto is behind the girl's disappearance." Storm looked back at me.

"OK...what power am I supposed to be practicing?" I asked.

Storm and Jean looked at each other, then Jean spoke, "Professor Xavier wants you to absorb the little girl's power. He's hoping if you gain it, Magneto will continue to pursue you, and leave her out of it. We already know he wants you, just not why."

"So...by me taking the girl's power, you think that Magneto will just continue to pursue me, and leave this little girl alone?" I confirmed.

"That's what we're hoping."

I nodded, "Okay, but do I really want some nutcase after me?"

"We can help to protect you, Sundry." Storm said. "A parent isn't going to be willing to allow someone to take their child under custody, even if it is for safety. You're already under our protection."

"...Right. Lets just get this over with."

The only light in the church came from some candles by an alter in a corner. Otherwise, the building was dark, cold, and inanimate.

"Jessika?" I called. "Jessika, are you here?"

"Leave me alone." The voice was tiny, and nearby. "You need to leave."

"Well, I can't leave without you." I looked around for the girl. "Why don't you come out, and we can talk?"

I saw a pair of eyes peering over the back of a pew..

"C' mon, I just want to talk to you. I promise." I told her.

"Who are you?" She asked, turning as I came to sit beside her.

"My name is Sundry." I leaned my arm against the back of the pew. "I'm here to help, if you let me."

"I was kidnaped." She told me, hugging her knees to her chest.

"What did your kidnapper look like?" I asked.

"There was this man, in a funny metal hat, with a big cape. And then there was this other woman with him, with blue painted skin, and short reddish hair. She was wearing a white dress." Jessika told me. "They came to my house when my babysitter, Michelle, was on the telephone with her boyfriend. I saw that they would come." She looked up at me, scared. "I see things, sometimes...before they actually happen. They're just little slips of time, like a black and white movie with no sound."

"Do you want to go home, Jessika?" I asked.

She nodded, wiping her nose on the back of her sleeve.

"Okay." I nodded. She threw her arms around my shoulders, her little hands pressing against my bare neck. The shock coursed through my body for a moment, and then I saw my first premonition. Mystique was coming up behind me with a gun drawn, Magneto not far behind her. Just as quickly as it had started, it was over. I wiped around to find my premonition coming true.

"I told you that you should have gone." Jessika whispered in my ear.

"Run outside." I told her. "Go to the jet, and get the people in side." I placed her on the ground, and turned to Magneto. "Leave her alone. I have her power now, you don't need her anymore."

Magneto clicked his tongue, and shook his head, advancing on me, "You all know so little." He raised his hand. I saw the candle stick rushing at me, and I put up my hand to stop it in mid air. With a flick from my other hand, I sent it flying back at him, striking him in the head, sending his little metal cap flying. I was close enough to touch my fingers to his throat. The power flooded through me.

Jessika was frozen in the doorway.

"Go!" I yelled at her, and she ran for dear life towards the jet where Jean and Storm were already rushing down the plank.

Mystique was raising her gun at me, "If only you could have cooperated a little better." She shook her head, and pulled the trigger. It was to late though, I was already behind her, wrestling the gun away from her. Storm created a lighting bolt which struck Megneto, who was again sending all the bits of metal he could towards the three of us. Jean and I stopped as much as possible, but shards still struck all of us, thankfully nothing to damaging.

I barely noticed when the others arrived. Logan barreled in first, ready to take over my fight with Mystique.

"Go back to the Jet, and stay with the girl, it's to dangerous for you to be in here." He ordered me, unleashing his claws with a 'ching!' sound, and a flash of adamantium. I was only to happy to comply. I teleported out of the church, and on board the jet. Jessika was huddled in a corner.

"Are you alright?" I asked, kneeling onto the floor in front of her. "Are you hurt?"

She shook her head no quickly, and put her arms around me. I picked her up, and let her hug me. She was so small, only about eight years old or so. Why would Magneto want to hurt some one so young? When she was finished crying on my shoulder, I buckled her into one of the seats, and gave her a piece of candy. "Just relax." I said. "It'll all be over soon."

Jean was back on the jet first, readying the engines.

"Did we win?" I asked, my mouth foaming over with sarcasm.

"Ironically enough, yes." She turned to me. "Are you alright? Those shards were pretty sharp."

"I'm fine, already healed over. Nothing but flesh wounds." I assured her.

"And how about our little girl?" Jean let Storm take over the controls as everyone else boarded the jet.

"I'm fine." Jessika nodded. "Sundry gave me candy."

"Good." Jean nodded. "You'll be home in no time, Jessika."

Logan was the last one to board, his claws covered in blood, which he quickly retracted when he saw the little girl, "You OK?" He asked me.

"I'm perfect." I shrugged. "My suit is a little torn, but nothing I can't fix." I brushed my fingers over the torn fabric on my shoulders. "I actually kind of like it."

"You would." He nodded.

"Everyone ready for take off?" Storm asked.

I buckled myself into the seat next to Jessika, Logan on my other side. Cyclops sat behind us, along with Rogue, and Kurt.

We had been in the air for a couple of minutes when Logan leaned over to whisper, just so I could hear.

"I was really worried about you." He said. "I was afraid we'd...that I would lose you."

I turned to look at him. I never wanted to kiss someone so badly before in my life. I went with my best judgement, and didn't. "You'd never lose me." I shook my head. "And besides, I got Magneto's power." I smiled.

I was chosen as the one to deliver Jessika back to her parents. They lived on a rural little farm outside of Bayville. I took Jessika up in my arms, and carried her to the front door. I wasn't even half way off of the gang-plank when her parents were rushing off of the front steps towards me.

Her mother and father took her out of my arms, kissing her forehead, and crying.

"I don't know how to you thank you..." Her mother wept at me.

"Seeing this is thanks enough." I smiled. "Happy Holidays."

Back at the Manor, I collapsed onto the couch, still wearing my torn uniform. Logan, who had now changed, sat down next to me.

"You beat?" He asked.

"Oh yea." I nodded. "Besides the whole Christmas Fiasco, there was my parents, dinner with Warren, and this mission, with about an hour of sleep... so, yea... I'm pretty beat." I leaned against his shoulder. "Mmm...You smell way to good."

"Pure man, baby." He teased, putting an arm around my shoulder, then stopped, pulling away. "Where's that boyfriend of yours?"

"I'm not sure...he wasn't called, so he's probably still in bed." I said. "You don't have to be on edge, just because I have a boyfriend, Logan. I'm a free spirit, he knows that. You know that."

He grunted, and put his arm around me, "Well, I could beat the crap out of that little faerie, so he can shove it-."

"Logan." I hit his knee with my fist.

"Oh, right...right. You like this guy. I forgot."

"Of course I do. He's sweet, caring, he's got wings..."

"So you'd rather I had wings then a great personality?" He raised his eyebrow.

"I never said that...and besides, you wouldn't be Wolverine if you had wings. You'd be like...Pterodactyl or something." I told him.

Logan laughed at me.

"Besides, you'd have black wings, I just know it." I told him. "And you wouldn't be nearly as skilled as you are."

He murmured an agreement, and leaned down to kiss me. It felt so good. Warren didn't kiss the same as Logan did. With Warren, kisses were sweet, and kind. With Logan, you could feel that want, that animal need, no matter how soft or how short of a time they lingered on your lips.

After he pulled away, a shock swept over my body. A black and white image of Logan and I kissing, savagely almost, pulling each other's clothes off. I saw a glint of wings through the crack in the door, and the vision ended.

"What's the matter, are you ok, kid?" Logan asked, looking at me.

"Yea...just...new power... Premonition." I shook my head. "They kind of take me by surprise."

"What did you see?" He asked, cocking his head to the side.

"Something I don't want to happen, so I think I'm going to go to bed." I sat up, and patted his knee. "Good night, Logan." I smiled at him. "See you in the morning."

"G' night." He turned on the couch to watch me go.

Rogue was just climbing back into bed when I opened the door.

"Hey." She greeted me.

"Hi." I replied.

"How was dinner with Warren?" She asked.

"Fabulous." I sighed, kicking off my boots, and taking off my jacket.

"So, what's wrong?" She asked, as I changed back into my pajamas for the second time.

"I just...I don't know. I like Warren, and he obviously likes me...but..."

"But you still have the hots for Logan." She filled in.

"Yea." I nodded. "I'm a horrible person, aren't I?"

"No, you're human." She said.

I sat on my bed, and looked at her, "I absorbed the power of premonition from that little girl." I told her. "I had one, after I kissed Logan."

"You kissed Logan?" Rogue asked. "When?"

"Downstairs, a little awhile ago. We were flirting."

"What was your premonition?" Rogue asked.

"We...we must have been in his room, and...we were kissing...and...I think we were going to have sex." I shook my head. "And I think I saw one of Warren's wings going past the door. I'm worried."

"OK, let me get this straight... first, you kissed Logan, then you had a premonition that you slept with him?"

"Yea." I nodded.

"What were you wearing in the premonition?" Rogue asked.

"I don't know...Uh...my uniform, I think." I shrugged. "Why does it matter?"

"Because...then you can control when your premonition will happen or stop it from happening all together." Rogue shook her head. "Do I really have to be the brains behind your powers?"

I thought about that for a moment, "You might have a point Rogue...but, it'll have to wait until daylight. I'm totally beat."

"G 'night, Joanna." She flipped off her beside lamp.

"Good night, Rogue."

I was awoken a second time, much more pleasantly then first time, and for a much less urgent reason. Warren crawled onto the bed next to me, wrapping his arms around me.

"I heard you got into a bit of a fight last night." He said, wrapping his arms around me.

"Well...I was there in the beginning... Then everyone else showed up, and Logan told me to wait in the jet." My eyes were still closed. I felt suddenly ashamed. Warren didn't know what had gone on when the fight was over, on the jet, or in the rec room, the night before.

"Are you OK? I saw your jacket -you should probably get a new one. I think it's beyond repair."

"I'm fine. Why does everyone keep asking me that?" I asked, wriggling out of his arms, and sitting up on the edge of the bed. "What time is it?"

"It's about eight o'clock." He said, leaning on his elbow. I could feel his eyes, boring into my back. "Are you going to tell me what's wrong, or should I just assume it's PMS, or something?"

I sighed, staring over at Rogue's empty bed. I should tell him, come clean... It was better to get it all out now then to wait, right?

"Look, I... I sort of did something when I got back from that mission last night." I told him. "I, uh..." Nervously, I rubbed my hand down my arm, and looked down at the floor. "I was sitting in the rec room, and...and Logan came in."

Warren took a deep breath, but didn't say anything, adjusting himself on the bed.

"I didn't mean for anything to happen...we were just talking at first, flirting I guess, like we always do." I bushed the hair out of my face. "And then...well, he kissed me, but I mean, I kissed him back, so it wasn't all him, in case you thought that."

"Is that it?" Warren asked. There wasn't a lot of emotion in his voice, which made me think that he was more disappointed in me, then angry. I didn't want to look at him.

"Well, I'm not sure if this really...ties into it, but I got the power of premonition on that mission. When he kissed me, I saw...something."

"What did you see?" Warren asked, with that same monotone.

"I saw Logan and I in his room...about to...you know, go at it." I shrugged. "I told him I had to leave after that, and I came upstairs, told Rogue, and went to bed."

"That's it?" He asked. "That's all that happened?" He sat up on the bed, sitting next to me. His wings were pressed down against his back, under a sweater, and he wore a pair of green plaid pajama pants.

"That's all I have to tell you, yes." I nodded. "I understand if you hate me, now."

"I don't hate you, Jo. I'm disappointed in you." He sighed. "I guess, I...I understand. You don't belong with me, and I can't control you, and make you want me the way you do with him."

"I do want you, Warren... You're both very different, and besides you're probably a lot better for me then Logan is, but I can't help it."

"I understand." He knocked his shoulder into mine as one of his little signs-of-affection, and held my hand. "I guess this is it then?"

"I think it's for the best." I shrugged. "I'm so...unpredictable... How ironic." I turned to him, looking at him. "I don't want to hurt you, Warren... and if I, ever, get over this whole Logan-Older-Men thing...there will only be you." I smiled at him.

He didn't smile back.

"I better go." He stood up. "I'll, uh, see you later." He gave me a parting kiss on the cheek, and exited my room, closing the door a little more loudly then actually necessary.

I bit my lip, and pulled the covers back over my head.

Kurt was the next to come and wake me up, for lunch.

"C' mon, Jo. It's your favorite." He tried to persuade me. "And besides, you've been in bed for hours now."

"Just leave me alone, Kurt." I sighed. "I'll get up later."

He sat down on my bed, looking at me, "Warren told us what happened."

"Ugh." I rolled over, burying my face in my pillow.

"It's not that bad." Kurt touched my shoulder. "And besides, we all knew that this Logan thing wouldn't go away so quickly."

"So Warren is ruining my good name. What did he tell you exactly?"

"Just that you and Logan kissed last night, and something about a premonition?"

I sighed, "That was private."

"Rogue already knew..." Kurt reminded me.

"That's because she's my best friend, and I sort of had to tell someone!" I sat up in bed.

"Oh good, you're up." Kurt pulled on my hand. "C' mon, you need food...lots and lots of good food."

"No...just, leave me alone." I fell backwards against my pillows again. "I'll get up for dinner."

"I'll save a plate for you." Kurt patted my knee.

"Thanks, Kurt."

About an hour later, unable to fall back asleep, I had no choice but to get out of bed. After I got dressed, basic jeans, a pair of comfortable boots, my white lace-up corset shirt, with my orange jacket, rolled up over my black armbands. I decided to seek out Professor Xavier for advice.

"Joanna, how wonderful to see you." He didn't have to look up from his desk to now it was me, before I even knocked on the door. "We missed you at lunch."

"'I'm sorry, I just...didn't feel up to it."

"Ah yes...Young Mr. Worthington seemed to have filled in everyone on the latest gossip." He leaned back in his chair, folding his hands on his lap. "Care to add anything? Feel free to sit, Joanna." He motioned towards a chair in front of his desk.

I took a second, shaking my head, "Nothing was supposed to happen...nothing did happen."I bit my lip, staring past his shoulder, out of the window. "It's stupid, really...all of it."

"Why don't you just tell me what happened?" Professor Xavier maneuvered his wheelchair out from behind his desk, and came to rest beside me. "Or, if you like..." He lifted his hands.

"I think I can tell you, just as well as you could see it." I said. "You probably already know, don't you?"

"Very little happens in my school that I don't know about, as much as people would like to hide things from me...it's quite difficult."

I took a deep breath, and started my sorry little story, "It probably started about...a week or so after I got out of the hospital wing. I was up late, watching television. Jean and yourself, I believe, were at a conference, and Scott and Storm were on a mission of some kind."

By the time I was finished, including the premonition (much to my own dismay), Professor Xavier was balancing his chin against his hands, elbows balanced on the arms of his chair.

"Well, your story seems to match up very well with Logan's." He nodded. "Which rules out his insanity." He smiled.

"Logan told you?"

"Not in so many words as you did, but he did allow me to see it." He nodded. "He's just as concerned as you are, Joanna. As I'm sure you're aware, this isn't typical of Logan, or yourself. Are you sure you don't have any further powers that we don't know about?"

"Like what?" I asked.

"A power of persuasion, or something?" He asked. "Obviously not persuasion exactly, but...You know what I mean. It seems you have two very different men, possibly three, chasing after you."

"What do you mean, three?"

"It could be part of the reason that Magneto wants you so badly." Professor Xavier folded his hands in his lap again. "Anything is possible at this point. This is the second incident so far where he's show interest in you, even taken another hostage to lure you."

"I don't want to be kept off of missions just because Magneto is after me, Professor. I'm a big girl, I can take care of myself. I even absorbed his power."

"So you did." He nodded. "And with that, I can further study Eric's power to my leisure, so I thank you for that quick thinking."

"It was nothing, really." I shrugged. "I figured it would be better safe with it, then sorry without it."

"Well, I think this has been a very good talk, Joanna... We should really continue it later." Professor Xavier maneuvered back behind his desk. "Perhaps you should go eat lunch now, while I think all of this over."

"Thank you, Professor." I stood up, nodding at him.

"No, no...Thank you, Joanna." He smiled, and watched me go from his office.


	5. Chapter 5

1Chapter Five

I sat at the table in the kitchen to eat lunch by myself. The plate that Kurt had set aside for me was still warm in the oven. My mouth started watering with hunger before I even peeled the tin foil away.

"Heard you broke up with your little faerie." Logan pushed open the kitchen door, and pulled a can of soda from the fridge. "Hope it wasn't something I did."

"You know it was something you did." I turned in my chair. "But it wasn't all you, so don't let your already overinflated ego get much bigger. I don't think the world could handle it."

He smirked, sitting down next to me.

"And Warren is not a faerie."

"Okay." He nodded. "Does this mean you're on the market again?"

"I'm a person, Logan...not a slab of beef. Girls don't go 'on the market', they shop at them."

"Okay, so I'm the slab of beef?" He asked. The smirk on his lips was to much. I shook my head.

"You're insufferable."

"But you love it, don't you."

"Yea...I do." I nodded.

"I heard you talked to the Professor."

"I didn't realize how fast news got around here."

Logan shrugged, "I guess you found out he already knew about us."

"Yea." I nodded. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised, you are the reason it got out the first time."

"Hey now...that was Scott's fault, and you know it."

"No...you told Jean, who told Scott...so okay, it's Jean's fault."

Logan took a swig from the can of soda. I could tell he felt uncomfortable.

"You really want a beer don't you?" I asked.

"You know it." He nodded. "The worst part about being a teacher."

I smirked, "I don't like guys that drink anyway." I smiled.

"Good to know." He nodded. "Any other dirty habits I should drop?"

"Smoking, totally."

"Consider it abolished from my habits."

"The cigar industry hates you." I smiled.

"I can live with that."

There were only three days left before school started up again. I had already waded through the accumulated homework, and was relaxing my days away...mostly with Danger Room exercises (many deemed my numerous powers as an unfair advantage, though Logan still told me my indecisiveness was going to lead to be an issue), and I had been on a ground mission since saving Jessika.

Professor Xavier was also studying the extent of my new metallic-control powers. He also studied my other powers to great lengths as well, and after days of moving different objects, with different powers, morphing to different powers, teleporting, and testing each and every power in my body known to me... He could only to come to one conclusion.

"When you absorb a person's power, you absorb it, fully matured. You can do anything, Joanna, with any of your powers. You have them to their full strength, and danger...but how you keep them in check...I do not know. These powers should consume you, but there is something that strains them, so to speak."

I sat in his office, thinking about it, "So there is nothing with my powers that I can't do? They're 'all there'?"

"In layman terms, yes." Professor Xavier nodded. "You mind knows how to control them. Magneto once had a machine that advanced mutants to this level, but it was destroyed in an explosion...the chances of you coming in contact with the machine are unlikely. It could be yet another power of yours."

"Okay, so...for example, when I took Kurt's power, I took it to an extent where I can literally teleport anywhere I want, no matter what the distance, with little to no danger of being trapped in a wall, or being captured in a solid object?"

"Your power is so great, it would push you away from the object...so yes, you could."

"And when I absorbed the power from Jessika...she couldn't control it...her premonitions just happened...but I could actually...call a premonition?"

"Yes, I think if you tried you'd find that you could...by touching an object, or a person...it would be like your telepathic ability."

"What about this shape shifting power?"

"You can become anyone you want to be, do anything you ever wished to do."

"Anyone?"

"Anyone."

Currently, I was sitting in the Rec room with my friends, excluding Warren who was still recuperating after the blow I had bestowed to his ego. I was shopping online with Kitty's computer, trying to find the perfect new uniform. Ordinarily I would have just ordered a new jacket from our supplier, but I decided I needed something a little more interesting, and suitable to my powers.

"Finding anything useful?" Rogue asked, taking the seat beside me. "Please tell me you aren't considering that." She was referring to the skin tight, purple body suit that currently filled my screen. "Please, please, please..."

"No...Even I wouldn't wear that." I clicked the back button, and began scrolling down the page. "I want basic black...purple only looks good on old woman with red hats."

Finally I decided on something similar to what I had before. It was a thin, bullet proof body suit with a black jacket, decorated with a solid red, encircled X on the back. The belt was yellow, clasping together with another solid red, encircled X. The boots were knee-hi black lace ups.

"Now that is a uniform." Rogue voiced her approval of my choice.

"Thanks. I'm so glad you value my good sense." I told her, and returned the laptop to Kitty. "It should be here in two-to-three days, tops."

Later that night, Rogue and I were hanging out in our room. Rogue was reading a book for class while I opted for a tabloid covering mutant gossip. The incident with Jessika had been noticed by someone, though it was obvious that they didn't have the whole story. It was actually quite humourous the way they tried to portray the family of the little girl. They said that they had in depth coverage... I was tempted to sue for false advertisement. The least they could do is give me some good publicity.

Logan knocked once before opening the door, "Hey Kid, you busy?"

"Depends on what you want me for." I told him, looking up from the artical.

"A quick mission. It shouldn't be more then an hour or so. We've gotta go pick up somebody from the airport."

"Who?" I asked, getting out of bed, already going for my uniform.

"And old friend of the Professors, they call him Beast. His name is Hank McCoy. He's a big shot physicist or something like that."

"Count me in." I shrugged. "I meet you in five."

"You really gonna go with him?" Rogue asked after I had changed and was pulling on my jacket.

"Yea, why not? It's just to the airport...what could happen?"

"Well you're going to be alone with him for an awfully long time." Rogue raised an eyebrow. "You sure you want to do that?"

"How am I going to learn anything, Rogue, if I don't put myself into situations?" I asked her. "Just relax. I'll be fine."

It was then that the shock of a premonition flashed across me. It was different this time. It was color. Magneto was there. It flashed by so quickly I couldn't be sure.

"What is it?" Rogue asked.

"I just had another premonition." I pulled on my jacket, rushing out of the room. "Tell the Professor, I think Magneto is going to be at the airport. Keep your communicator on."

I told Logan as soon as I buckled into the car.

"You sure you're up to this?" He asked me, pulling away from the school. "If Magneto is there, he won't be alone."

"I told Rogue to alert the Professor. If he's there, we can get in touch with the others."

"You're one hell of a brave little girl, Sundry."

"Thanks."

Hank McCoy seemed normal enough when we met him at the airport. I'm sure that Logan and I stood out against the crowd, but it was always better to be safe then sorry.

"You must be Joanna. The Professor has told me so much about you." He shook my gloved hand. "And of course, Logan. It's a pleasure to meet you as well."

"If you don't mind, Mr. McCoy, I think the sooner we get going, the better." Logan started to lead him out of the airport, toting one of his bags. "We've got suspicions that a certain metal-head is going to be showing up pretty soon."

"Excuse me?" Hank asked. "Magneto? Why?"

"He's after her." Logan motioned towards me. "Luckily there's a few things he doesn't quite know about her yet."

The crash through the ceiling of the airport was to be expected, but it didn't stop me from jumping and flipping around. Magneto was using his power to levitate.

"Like what, Wolverine?" He inquired. "I think there are actually a few more things I know about the girl, that Xavier doesn't, but please...fill me in." A motion of his hand sent Logan flying. That damn adamantium.

"Leave him alone." I used my own power to bring him to my level. "What do you want?"

"I thought I made that obvious...I want you to join the Brotherhood of Mutants. Your unique abilities would give us an advantage over those who would move to destroy us, as a race."

"Look, I don't want no trouble." The large table behind him lifted silently, moving stealthily towards him. It wasn't until it was to late that he noticed. It crashed into him, sending him flying, pinning him into the wall. "In case you haven't noticed, buddy, I've already chosen my side in the matter, and you ain't touching this."

"No matter." Magneto pushed the table back, sending me flying. Beast caught me, transformed into a large blue monster. "I can easily manipulate you to do anything I please, young one."

"Don't try to take over things you can't control." I said, the fury enveloping my hands, green plasma blasts forming. No clue where they came from, but I was glad for them. They struck him in the chest, sending him flying.

Then I noticed the chaos in the airport.

"C'mon, lets go." I led the two men out of the airport, back towards the car.

"What the hell was that, kid?" Logan asked, running beside me, Beast close behind.

"I have no idea. Where are the keys?"

"Right here." Logan flipped them to me, and I flicked all of the doors of the car open, and started the car before we were all even inside. The doors clicked shut again, and we were off.

"Is it always this exciting?" Hank asked. "Or am I just lucky?"

"It's always exciting when Sundry's around." Logan reached for his seatbelt. "You might want to buckle in, McCoy."

"I see." He nodded, as he was thrown haphazardly across the car.

"Sorry about that." I shifted into sixth. "Prepare for take off, boys...Lets really test these powers."

"What are you...Oh." Logan's grip tightened as the car lifted off the ground. "That's why you took the back route."

A trip that would ordinarily have taken forty minutes took five. I shifted the car down, "This is gonna hurt." I warned Logan and Hank, and brought the car down with only a slight shudder.

"Please tell me that we're never going to do that again." Logan took my hand.

"Well, that was fun." Hank was the first out of the car, glad to be back on the ground. "A truly thrilling experience..."

"Sorry about that landing." I unbuckled my seatbelt, and turned to Logan. "Are you alright? You look kinda pale."

"Oh, I'm fine...I think I'd rather not test out those powers of yours without prior supervision though, just for future reference.

"C' mon, lets go tell the Professor about Magneto."

Hank accompanied us to Professor Xavier's office. Logan knocked once on the open door.

"I'm glad to see you're back. What happened." He asked, looking up. "You didn't call, so I trust all was well?"

"Not exactly." I took a seat in front of his desk. "Magneto showed up, but I think I took care of him...well enough anyway."

"She made plasma blasts, Professor." Logan cut in. "Just so you know."

"Another little power..." He nodded. "What else?"

"I made the car fly..." I shrugged. "I figured it was faster then trying to drive."

"That was very dangerous...you could have been seen...but under the circumstances, I commend you for your fast thinking."

"Thank you, Professor."

"Now, about Magneto...did he say anything."

"He said something about joining his Brotherhood of Mutants, and that he had ways of manipulating me to do what he wanted. Brainwashing or something."

The Professor thought about it, "I think it's best if you stay in the manor, Sundry...for safety's sake."


	6. Chapter 6

1Chapter Six

"I guess since you're under house arrest, this means you won't be interested in going out with me tomorrow night, huh?" Logan asked.

I grinned, "You were going to ask me out?"

"Well, I figured the way we keep macking, as the kids say, we should at least try for normality."

"But you seem to forget, Logan. We're not normal." We stopped in front of my room together. "We are far from normal."

"But that doesn't mean we can't try, right?" He asked. "We'll talk after you get sprung, okay?"

"Yea, sure." I moved to open my door.

"Wait a sec." He took my hand, pulling me up to him. "I just thought you might like to know...you look real pretty when you're pissed off."

I laughed, putting my hand on his shoulder, "How romantic."

"No, really." His hands went down to my hips, under my jacket. "What I said about you being indecisive...I was wrong. You know exactly what you're doing."

"Thanks." I told him.

We both stood there for a moment, before I pulled away, "I better get to bed. I have a feeling it's going to be a long day tomorrow."

"Goodnight, kid." He kissed me softly, placing his forehead against mine. "I'll see you in the morning."

"G' night Logan." I kissed him back, and then retreated for my room.

I got dressed the next morning a little earlier then normal. I had a danger room lesson with Logan, and five other students I didn't normally hang out with. I wanted to talk with Logan before we started.

"Hey kid." He was sitting in the control booth, overlooking the danger room. "What's buggin' you?"

"I want to work on my magnetic powers, Logan. Do you think you could work it into a lesson?" I asked.

"What part of your magnetic power?" He asked, leaning against the edge of the switch board. "Moving objects, creating field, that kind of thing?"

"I was thinking about more about flying..." I said. "Magneto can use a magnetic current to fly...but I think it's better if I try it under supervision the first time. And I want to figure out how I conjured those plasma blasts."

"Right..." He nodded. "You want to try it after the lesson today? I got time, if you do."

"That would be great Logan, thanks."

"Anytime, Kid. Go suit up. Class starts in ten minutes." He reminded me.

Class moved by quickly, and I was able to illiminate all of my fellow classmate-opponents, without injuring them to badly.

"Wow, you're amazing, Joanna." I helped Jubilee up from the ground where I had pushed her to keep her from being blasted with a ray.

"Thanks, but I'm nothing special." I shrugged. "You're not so bad yourself."

She smiled at me, a pretty little Asian girl who had come to the institute before I had, "I hope we get to do this more often -class with you is a lot of fun."

"Alright, kids... Class dismissed." Logan released the other. "Joanna...Lets talk before we start."

We sat on a block of cement in the center of the room.

"Alright, lets start with these blasts...where'd they come from?" He asked.

"I don't know...I just remember being very angry, and they just...formed around my fists, and propelled themselves."

"So they're triggered by anger." He nodded. "Duly noted."

"It's just the way that Magneto was talking to me, like I was some stupid little girl he thought he could brainwash into doing whatever he wanted me to do." I felt that anger rushing back at me, and my hands closed. Wisps of green energy formed around my fists.

"Definitely triggered by anger."

I opened my hands, and let the anger go. The green wisps disappeared.

"You'll need to learn to control that as much as you do all of your other powers... The Professor has noticed that your other powers are matured, but this one...this one could be dangerous to yourself, and others if you get to angry, Sundry. You've been a pretty happy-go-lucky person as of late, but things could change rapidly. It doesn't take long for emotion to take over." He lectured.

"We'll have to work on it." I said. "Now, the flying thing..."

I was actually glad when school started again. It was the only time that I could be outside of the institute, due to Magneto's persistence.

Warren was talking to me again -sort of, in a strained sort of way. Mostly he tried to stick out conversations to school, and the weather. Weather was a big topic with everyone actually. It was cold...very cold. We hadn't had a snow day yet, but a lucky little premonition assured me that we would have one soon, which is why I was awake at midnight on a Thursday, with Rogue, Jubilee, Kurt, Bobby, and Logan as company on a school night.

"Now, you're absolutely sure that we don't have school tomorrow?" Kurt asked from where he was sitting in a chair to my left.

"Kurt, do you see the snow outside?" I asked. "Trust me, there isn't a snowballs chance in hell that we'll have school tomorrow." I looked at him from where I sat on the floor, leaning against Logan's knee's, painting Rogue's nails. "If you don't believe me by now, go to bed."

"I believe you." He told me. "You haven't been wrong yet."

"Or at least had the common sense to avoid it." Logan commented, placing a hand on my shoulder.

"Your day may yet come, Logan, just relax." I told him, waving my hand over Rogue's nails to dry them faster. Logan squeezed my shoulder for a second before he sat back.

"You probably shouldn't move around to much for about an hour so." I told Rogue, releasing her hand. "It's still wet enough to smudge."

"Thanks, Jo." She took over blowing on her nails, as we all turned to see the Storm Watch on the television.

Meteorologists were already calling it one of New York State's worst storms ever. They warned viewers to remain in their homes. Power outages were happening over the viewing area, and it was only a matter of time before it hit Bayville.

It wasn't until Regularly scheduled programming returned (some Late-Night Made-For-TV movie) that we noticed Professor Xavier had entered the room.

"It's a little late for you all to be up, don't you think?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

"We're just staying up for Storm Watch." Logan told him. "Joanna told them they'd have a snow day tomorrow."

"Well, it's highly likely...carry on, then. Logan, could you come with me for a moment?" He asked, turning his chair back for the corridor.

I leaned out of his way as he stood up, following the Professor out of the room.

"Do you think he's in trouble?" Jubilee asked me.

"Of course not." I opened a different bottle of nail polish. "Gimme your foot." I told Rogue, to which she easily complied.

"You never know, Joanna." Rogue leaned back on her palms. "Logan is a very troublesome character."

"Hardy-har-har." I didn't look up at her. "Now stop moving your toes or I'm gonna mess up."

"Oh it's not like anyone will even see it." Rogue shrugged. "After all, when do I ever wear open-toed shoes?"

"You should...it would be a little different." I shrugged. "And besides, sandals are comfy."

"Says the girl who can touch other people without them going into a coma, or dying." Rogue lay down on the carpet, letting her hair sprawl out around her. "Lucky."

"Well, no one's died yet, so I think you'll be fine." I dipped the brush back into the bottle. "Other foot."

Rogue was quiet for a moment, and started to say something just as I finished her left foot when the lights flickered.

"Ok, I think we should wrap up our little party here." Bobby moved to shut off the television.

"You guys go on to bed...I'll wait for Logan." I waved them all away. "I wouldn't want him to think we deserted him or something."

"Uh huh. Help me up." Rogue held out her hands for me to grab as I stood. After I pulled her up, the flights flickered again.

"Go on, before the power shuts down." I waved them away. "Good night -and I'll be up soon Rogue, so keep a lamp on or something."

"Will do, Jo." She nodded.

"Goodnight." Jubilee called, walking backwards from the room.

"Goodnight, Jo." Kurt patted my shoulder before taking off for the stairs.

I lay down on the couch, watching the television again.

"You all alone?" Logan asked, leaning on the back of the couch. "Where'd everybody go?"

"They went to bed. They figured it was safest before the power went out. The lights have flickered a few times."

"Yea...Professor Xavier wanted me to take a look at the generators. There should be enough power to give us a couple hours in the lower levels, but if it goes out, the upstairs here is gonna be black. We can't waste the energy if something happens and we've gotta go on an emergency mission." Logan swung around the couch and sat down in front of me. "What's the matter, kid?"

"Nothing. I'm just tired, I guess."

"Why don't you go to bed?" He asked, leaning closer to kiss me. "It's getting late, and you deserve some sleep."

"I just wanted to spend some uninterrupted time with you." I smiled. "We haven't been getting a lot of that as of late."

"Hm." Logan grunted, kissing me again. "There may be a higher force 'causing that."

"I know." I nodded. "The Professor doesn't exactly approve, does he?"

"I wouldn't say that...I think he'd just rather nothing happened between us until after your birthday, at least."

"But that's like five months away." I sighed. "What does he think we are? Saints?"

"I don't know about you, kid, but I'm sure as hell not."

"I can tell you I'm far from it." I snaked my arms over his shoulders, and kissed him again. "And besides, what the Professor doesn't know, won't hurt him."

"You seem to forget that the Professor knows just about everything."

I sighed again, "Stop taking the fun out of being naughty, Logan."

"Oh, right...sorry." He placed a kiss below my ear, and then several down my throat. "Is this better?"

I laughed when he started nibbling my ear, and pushed him away, "Alright, I think we better go to bed now, before the power really does go out, and we get lost."

"Gettin' lost might not be so bad..." He raised an eyebrow.

"Pervert." I smacked his arm.

"Just something else you've gotta love, eh?" He asked.

"Good night, Logan." I kissed him one last time, before maneuvering behind him off of the couch. "I'll see you in the morning."

"Good night, kid."

We did indeed have a snow day that Friday, and the power outage that occurred in the dead of night caused a grumbling cold to wash over the institute. When we first woke up, Rogue and I huddled together on one bed for warmth, soon joined by Kitty, and Jubilee who had more blankets for our cause. Rogue sat closest to the wall, in the corner, the other girls closest to me, for safety's sake. We were reading magazines, and praying for the electricity to be fixed sooner when Logan knocked on the door.

"You decent?" He asked, before opening the door. "You're having a pajama party, and you didn't invite me? I'm hurt, really."

I smiled, and threw one of the pillows at him, missing by mere inches, "How long until the heat comes back on?"

"It could be awhile." He leaned against the door jam. "Which means that until the power comes on, no lesson. Thank god it's cold though -think of what it would be doing to the food in the freezers."

"Eh, stick everything outside, it'll be fine." I shrugged.

"I'm going to die of hypothermia." Jubilee still shivered under four thick quilts.

"I highly doubt it. You'll plague us all for a very long time, I'm sure." Logan raised an eyebrow at her, and smirked.

"Thanks for that vote of confidence, Mr. Logan." Jubilee rolled her eyes.

"Was there anything else?" I asked, pushing a strand of hair behind my ear.

"No...I just wish I had a camera, this is such a kodak moment you all have going on here."

"Oh, get out." I threw another pillow at him, striking him in the arm.

"You may want these." He threw the two pillows back at me. "After all, we've gotta be saints, remember?" He closed the door behind himself before I could throw something else at him.

"You're saints?" Rogue asked.

"It's an inside joke." I told her.

"Right...I think I'm glad I wasn't around when that one cropped up." She said. "And besides, I think Sainthood is your best bet."

"Hardy har-har." I said.

I stayed in the bedroom until we started to get hungry, and then we ventured downstairs where the other students, and faculty were rushing around trying to find ways to stay warm.

"Get sick of your pajama party?" Logan was sitting in the kitchen, drinking a cup of coffee.

"Hey, where'd you get that?" I asked.

"Storm sent me on a mission earlier for coffee and donuts." He said. "You should have said something earlier I would have gotten you something."

"Is it bad out?" I asked.

"Pretty bad, yet." He nodded.

"Damn." I sighed.

"Here." He offered me the cup.

"Ew, no... Coffee is gross." I stuck out my tongue at him.

"Don't be so picky." He put an arm around my waist and pulled me close up next to him. "Some day you'll regret it."

"Not today, I won't." I shook my head, and kissed his cheek. "I'm pretty sure of that."


	7. Chapter 7

1Chapter Seven

Our power eventually did come on, January passed with more cold, and more snow. March was crazy, coming in with warmer temperatures, and then dumping more snow on us towards the end of the month. All through this, training sessions continued, missions were done, and Logan and I grew closer. June fast approached, and school was almost over. My junior year of high school was nearly complete, and I had a year left, and senioritis was proven to be not just for seniors anymore.

The last week of school arrived, and I was invited to a variety of parties given by all different crowds. I wasn't sure if I wanted to go to any of them, but I wanted to leap at the chance to show Logan off, which I knew wouldn't happen. The night of the second to last day of school, I sat in Logan's bedroom on his bed, watching him pack a duffle bag.

"When are you going to be back?" I asked.

"Early tomorrow afternoon -before you get back from school." He zipped up the bag, and flung it over his shoulders. "What's with the twenty questions, kid?"

"There's this party tomorrow...and I wondered if you wanted to go with me." I stood, following him to the door.

"Me, at a high school party?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well...yea." I nodded.

"I think you'd be better off taking the Faerie, Jo." He leaned in to kiss me before putting an arm around my shoulders as we walked down the stairs together.

"That's fine. I'll have fun without you." I assured him.

"But not to much, of course."

"Of corse."

"See you tomorrow kid." He kissed me again, and walked out of the door. I let him leave without much more thought, and went to the Rec Room where everyone was sitting.

"Hey guys." I said, sitting on the couch between Rogue and Kurt.

"Your boyfriend just leave?" That's how Warren referred to Logan 'your boyfriend' or 'Jo's boyfriend', or even 'the boyfriend', and Logan called him Faerie... I guess it was a guy-thing.

"Yes, Logan left." I nodded. "Are you going to Lance Hang's party tomorrow night?"

"I wasn't planning on it? Why do you ask?"

"I was just wondering if you were interested in going with me." I shrugged.

"What about your boyfriend?" He asked.

"He suggested it." I informed him, and moved to kneel on the floor in front of his chair. "C' mon Warren, it will be fun!"

"Sorry, but I'm not interested."

"Party pooper!" Kurt turned on his image inducer, getting off of the couch to shake his tail. "I'll be your date, Jo."

"Thanks Kurt." I smiled.

"Anytime." The inducer shut off, and he resumed his place on the couch.

Storm entered the room behind us, "Joanna, you've got a letter from your father." She dropped an envelope into my lap, distributing mail to some of the others in the room. I noticed that Warren simply ripped the few letters he received in half, and placed them in the garbage can beside his chair.

I rolled my eyes at his lack of enthusiasm, and tore open my own mail. My father had little to say, just that he hoped I would come home for a week or so over the summer, to call my mother, and he added that he hoped I was well, and went best wishes, as well as several forms of money, including a check, a money order, some cash, and a VISA card (of which he mentioned to only use if I really had to, he wanted to make sure I had enough money, where ever it was that life took me over the summer).

"What are you going to do this summer?" Rogue asked, reading over my shoulder.

"I don't know. Professor Xavier invited me to stay here, to come and go as I please", but also to offer me protection from Magneto, who was still lurking around with Mystique, just waiting for an opportunity for me to be alone, and vulnerable. "I'll probably stick around Bayville, if not here at the institute with you. I won't know until I do it."

Rogue lay her head against my shoulder, and took the VISA from my hand, "Ooh, plastic!"

"Don't get to excited, I'm not going to use it...yet." I smiled.

The last day of school swept by slowly, ending with an exciting splurge. Before going to 'the big party', Rogue and I stopped at the mall -figuring we could start out the summer with a big bang. Lance had a pool, and everyone was going to be taking advantage of it. We decided to buy new outfits, my father's treat.

For Rogue we went to a Water-Sport store, where she found a wetsuit, that wasn't to out of place looking. It was basic black, with a red strip across the chest, with short sleeves, and the legs went down to the calves. She looked good.

For me, we went to a store that wasn't exactly preppy, but not to unconventional either. I decided on a pair of red hibiscus print boy shorts and a matching bikini top. We both also got sandals (matching flip flops for the both of us), and thought about getting manicures and pedicures before we realized the time, and booked it back to the manor.

We were ready to go, regardless of us being a little later when we had planned, before Kitty, Kurt, and Jubilee who were also accompanying us to the party.

"You look...good." Logan leaned in the doorway while Rogue and I waited for the others to get ready.

"Thanks." I smiled. "You sure you don't want to come?"

"I'm positive, kid. You and Kurt have fun though." He nodded.

"At least you're willing to share." I got out of my seat to kiss him.

He grunted, "Don't be to sure, Jo...I could still change my mind about that."

I grinned, and looked over his shoulder as the others bounded down the stairs, "Y'all ready to go?" I asked.

"Yep." Kurt nodded. "How about you?" He extended his arm to me.

"See you later, Logan." I kissed his cheek and then took Kurt's arm as we walked out to the jeep, which Logan was letting me borrow for the night.

Music was already flooding the yard of Lance's house, party noise coming from the backyard. I walked close to Kurt, my arm around his. People looked, and giggled, but I tried to ignore them as I found a group of my school friends.

"Hey Jo." Saundra, a girl I had now previously had a cooking class with, sitting the middle of a circle. "Where's the boyfriend?" She asked with a smirk, "The older guy, with the nice abs?"

"He couldn't make it." I retorted, my arm still around Kurt's, who was looking around anxiously, "He had some things to do."

"Was that his excuse?" She giggled. "And not that fact that he's dating a dorky little high school girl?"

"Back off, Saundra." I barked. "Before you bite off more then you can chew." I felt the wisps of green fury wrapping around my fists, but I suppressed it, and pulled Kurt towards the deck where Lance was standing with some of his buddies.

"Hey Lance." I let go of Kurt long enough to bump hips with my Chem-Lab partner. "Nice party."

"Thanks, Jo." Lance put his arm around my hips. "Who'd you bring?"

"Oh, just Kurt, Rogue, Kitty, and Jubilee." I shrugged.

"You gonna stay and help me clean up?" He tempted.

"Mmm...I have a boyfriend to go home too, nice try though." I smiled.

"You can't blame a guy for trying." He shrugged, releasing me. "Have fun."

"Thanks, Lance." Kurt and I went to sit by Rogue and Kitty who had made themselves comfortable in a set of deck chairs near the pool.

The party went off without any problems, and the five of us returned back to the Institute before midnight. I knocked on Logan's bedroom door before I went to bed.

"Come in." He called.

"Hey." I leaned in the doorway. "What are you doing?"

"Just thinkin'...how about you?" He leaned up on his elbow in bed. I noticed right away he only had on a pair of shorts.

"I'm tired..." I entered the room, and closed the door behind me.

Logan grunted, putting an arm around me when I lay down beside him, "You make this to darn easy, kid." His lips touched my throat first, then my lips. His fingers were warm, and snaked up my back. I felt him tug at the strings of the bikini, but I stopped him with a smirk.

"Presumptuous, aren't we?" I asked.

"I wouldn't have pulled 'em...but it doesn't stop me from thinkin' about it." He placed his forehead against mine.

"I better go to bed. I just came into say good night." I kissed him again. "So...g' night, Logan."

"Good night, Jo." He released me, and watched me leave from the bed. "See you in the morning, kid."

The next day, we were all sad to see many leave for a summer vacation with their family, the main "crew" remained at the Institute, our education for the year not quite finished. Rogue and I spent our times between missions, and training, out in the sun, shopping, or just lounging around the manor, the first week or so. After that, we became bored.

"Isn't your birthday in a couple of weeks?" Rogue asked one afternoon, when we were sitting, flipping through the channels on TV. "We should do something."

"Like what?" I asked.

"Throw a party or something."

"No thanks...I'm not really into birthday parties." I shrugged. "I don't get why being a year older is such a big accomplishment."

"It signifies that you've survived another year of a difficult period...it's something to be happy about." Rogue shrugged. "After all, I know I count my blessings every year I get older, especially with the kind of missions I've gone on. Whew." She shook her head. "Some scary stuff is out there, Jo."

I shrugged, "I'm still not impressed."

"Suit yourself, but you'll see someday." Rogue got up from her chair. "I'm gonna go see if the mail is here yet."

I waved her off, and picked up a book off of the coffee table, flipping through portraits of the British Landscape.

"Are you really that bored?" Logan leaned over the back of the couch. "Because I'm sure I can find something for you to do, if you are."

I smiled, "Hey Logan."

"McCoy and the Professor would like to see you." He said, "As soon as you can get away."

"Sure." I said. "I'll be there in a minute." I closed the book heavily, and got up from the couch.

"Hey, are you going to be busy later?" Logan asked, putting an arm around my hips as we walked together towards the Professor's office.

"Depends on what exact it is that Professor Xavier and Mr. McCoy have to tell me." I shrugged.

"Well if you're not, do you want to come into the city with me?" He asked. "I got some business to attend to -I figured I'd offer, if you wanted to see your parents."

"Sure. I'd love to." I shrugged. "When are you leaving?"

"Later, around one, or so."

"I'll meet you out front, then." I gave him a kiss on the cheek before knocking on the door to the Professor's office.

I met Logan about one o'clock on the front steps. Rogue had toyed with the idea of coming along with us as 'supervision', but I told her it was highly unnecessary as he was going to drop me off at my Dad's while he dealt with his business thing, and then after he picked me back up, we were going to the used bookstore where my Mom worked part-time.

"Uh-huh...just don't get side-tracked to any flea-bitten motels, or nothing." She warned before she would let me get out of her sight.

"You ready to go, kid?" Logan asked, a bag slung over his shoulder.

"Yea, lets go." I stood up, slinging my purse over my shoulder.

Riding in the jeep was a nice relief to the heat, even though I could barely hear the radio over the rushing wind. Logan wasn't much of a conversationalist either, not that I would have been able to hear anything he said. It was an hour and a half before Logan parked the jeep at the curb in front of my Dad's brown townhouse. I had called ahead (to make sure he wasn't entertaining anyone, or out on any errands), so he was waiting out in the yard for me.

"Thanks, Logan. When will you be back."

"An hour, tops, kid." He assured me.

"I'd kiss you, but my Dad doesn't know about you yet." I whispered.

"My best wishes with breaking that news -I know I wouldn't want my daughter coming home, and telling me she was dating some mutant freak."

"You're not a mutant freak, you're my boyfriend, and I like you just the way you are." I patted his knee, and hopped out of the jeep. "See you in an hour."

"Be careful, kid." He tipped his hat at me, and speed away from the curb.

My Dad and I sat in the kitchen, I idly stirring my coffee without even touching the spoon. My dad was watching it, his eyes following the untouched spoon. I didn't notice until I looked up from the manuscript he was having me read.

"Oh, sorry." I took the spoon out, setting it on the saucer. Then I turned back to the manuscript, "It's really good, Dad. I like it." My father is a writer -sort of. He's been published in quite a few magazines as a freelance journalist, but he's taken a liking to science fiction as of late. "Have you got anyone interested in yet?"

"Science Fiction Journal has taken a liking the idea, and wants to run it as a monthly installment. They're offering me a contract to start publishing it this fall."

"Dad, you should go for it!"

"I don't know, Joey." He got up to add more coffee to his cup. "I've always wanted to see one of my books in one installment, you know? Be able to hand out signed copies to my friends... I feel like I'd be cheating myself out, if I signed the contract." He jumped up onto the counter, and sipped from his mug. "Does that make sense?"

"Sure it does...but Dad, whose to say that this won't make it to a publishing house? I mean, send it to some places. You never know until you try."

"Regardless, I'm glad you like it." He smiled, and then changed the subject. "So, who was the guy who dropped you off?"

"Oh...that was Logan."

"Logan? And how do you know him?"

"He works for Professor Xavier." I told him with a shrug, biting my lip, "He's sort of a...training supervisior."

"So he's a mutant too?"

"Yea." I nodded.

"How's that Warren guy you were with at Christmas? You haven't said anything about him lately in any of your letters." It would just figure that my Dad would want to talk about MY love life -as he didn't have one at the moment.

"That didn't exactly work out." I shook my head. "But he's OK, I guess."

"And this Logan guy...does he have anything to do with that?"

"...Kind of." I looked away out the window, "Oh wow! When did you get rose bushes?"

"Don't change the subject, Joey." He raised an eyebrow at me.

"Okay...confession time.' I turned in my chair to face him, "I'm kind of...dating Logan. But that's all it is, just going out once in awhile, and hanging around the Institute."

"How old is this guy?"

"No one is really sure about that." I bit my tongue.

"Haven't you ever asked?"

"Logan has kind of a...sordid past. Lets not get into this, please?"

"What do you mean 'sordid past'?" He got down off of the counter, and set down his coffee to cross his arms over his chest. "Is this guy dangerous or something?"

"No, of course not. He works for Professor Xavier as a teacher. It's just...Logan had a really bad experience, and his memory got wiped clean. He doesn't remember anything from before about...ten, eleven years ago, or so. So, no one really knows anything about him."

"Nothing?"

"No." I shook my head.

"What exactly this guys power?" He asked.

"He's got regenerative capabilities...and these retractable adamantium claws."

"The guy's got claws?"

"It's not as bad as it really sounds, Dad. Wait until you meet him, he's really a very nice guy, I promise."

Until Logan arrived, we shifted conversation from him, to my Mom and Daniel, to just my Mom, to summer vacation, to money, to visiting, to school, to senior year. By the time Logan finally arrived, I was about talked out, and I was almost regretting the visit.

"Logan, thank god..." I took his hand, "I was just about dying in there."

"Is there a problem?" He raised his hands to unleash his claws, before I stopped him.

"No, nothing like that...you might not want to do that in front of my Dad."

"Do I have to talk to this guy?"

"You have to at least say hello."

"Shit." He ran his fingers through his hair. "Do I look OK?"

"You look fabulous." I led him into the kitchen, where my Dad had picked up his manuscript and was making corrections. "Dad? This is Logan. Logan, my Dad."

"Please, call me Stephan." He held out his hand, which Logan shook, with a firm grip (but not to firm, which I was pleased to see).

"Nice to meet you, Stephan." Logan nodded.

"So, Joey here has told me quite a bit about you... Anything else you'd like to share?" My Dad was acting a total goober, and it was embarrassing -not to mention the fact that he called me Joey.

"Well, there isn't a lot to tell... I'm sure _Joey_ filled you in on all of the essentials." Logan raised an eyebrow at me.

"Yea...well, I hate to cut this little visit short, _Dad_, but Logan and I were going to go to the bookstore to see Mom, so...we better be going." I put my arm around Logan's. "I'm sure I'll be around to see you again soon -maybe next time you'll have good news about your manuscript."

"Right." My Dad nodded. "Well, I'm sure you'll have loads of fun meeting Christy." My Dad shook Logan's hand again. "It was very nice meeting you, Logan."

"I'm sure, Dad. I'll see you later." I started pushing Logan towards the door. "Bye!"

"You really in that much of a rush?" Logan asked, as he shoved the keys into the ignition. "Your Dad seemed like a nice guy."

"My Dad is a nice guy, but I just spent over an hour with him, talking about you, my Mom, what I plan on doing with my summer, him pressing fifty bucks into my hand and him saying 'Buy yourself something pretty', to school, and my senior year... God, I couldn't wait for you to show up."

"Sounds like a hell of a time... Your Mom gonna be that bad?"

"I've talked to her on the phone a couple of times, and we've been writing. I better warn you know, my Mom is kind of a twit..."

"I'll brace myself. Now where is this store?"


	8. Chapter 8

1A/N: The recipe for Grasshoppers is as follows (mentioned later): Two scoops of ice cream, about ½ a cup of milk, and just a splash of Creme-De-Mint (this IS slightly alcoholic, so get a parent's permission, first), no more then a tablespoon or so. Put into a blender, and mix. This should serve 2-3 people. Enjoy! -So simple, a child could do it. Except children shouldn't have alcohol, so shhh...

Chapter Eight

The bell above the door rang when Logan and I entered the dusty little bookshop where my Mom was part owner with one of her best friends from High School. She was sitting on a stool behind the cash register, reading from one of the musty novels the store was home too.

"Mom?" I tipped her book forward.

She jumped up, "Joanna, I didn't expect to see you today!"

"Spur of the moment trip." I shrugged, as she came around the counter, with minuscule tears in her eyes. "How are you?" She hugged me tight.

"I'm just fine, but how are you?" She sized me up, "And who is this?" She motioned to Logan who was brooding behind me.

"This is Logan." I introduced him. "He's...a friend. Logan, this is my Mom."

"A friend, or 'friend'? Oh, and call me Christy, dear. Everyone does." My mother said, going up to him to size him up as well.

"A 'friend'." I looked away from Logan's unamused stare as my Mother dusted invisible lint from his shoulders as her way of feeling him up. "Mom!"

"Oh right." She went back behind the counter. "So, what are you up to in the city, today?"

"Just came to see you and Dad."

"Have you already seen your father?" She asked.

"Yea, I just spent an hour with him." I rolled my eyes.

My mother laughed, "And I suppose you met him as well...Logan, was it?"

"Yea, I did have that pleasure, ...Christy." His voice rumbled.

"Why the beast does speak."

"Mom." I warned her.

"Sorry dear, I can't help but tease your friends, you know that."

Logan grunted, "I'm gonna go look around." He told me.

"He seems...interesting. What did your father think of him?" My Mother asked, leaning on the counter. "Did he do one of his 'father-moments'?"

"Of course." I nodded, leaning on the counter as well. "How's business, Mom?"

"Business is fine." She shrugged. "My divorce from Daniel is almost through."

"That's good to hear." I nodded. "It's about time."

"He's not really a bad person, Joey. He's just...misinformed."

"He's a jackass, Mom, and you know it." I told her, pointedly, "I told you when you married him it was a bad idea."

"What normal thirty-something woman listens to her thirteen year old daughter on her wedding day, Joey? I'm sorry." She stroked my face. "I really should have listened to you better. It was one of my many mistakes. Including Daniel talking me into abandoning you...I don't even understand how he could have done that... but I will agree with you that leaving him was the best decision I ever made."

I took her hands in mine, "Look Mom, it's in the past. Just...put it behind you. I know I have."

"I would love for you to come home, Jo." She tried to coax. "We can start over."

"No." I shook my head. "There is way to much going on for me to come back here. It wouldn't be safe for either of us."

"What are you talking about? Daniel is gone, where's the danger?"

"It's not that kind of danger, Mom. There's a lot you don't know, yet." I shook my head. "And way to much for me to tell you right now. The short version, I'm not your little girl anymore. There are some people who are after me, because of what I can do. Professor Xavier, and the X-Men...they can help me. They can protect me at the Institute, and in Bayville. If I'm here, I'm just looking for trouble, and I'm bring trouble to you and Dad. I don't want to do that. It's better if I stay there. When that threat is gone, I'll come home."

"Whose after you, darling? What reason?"

"His name is Magneto. He wants me to join his Brotherhood of Mutants, or something. But I've already chosen my side, with the X-Men."

"What is this X-Men nonsense?" My Mother was growing confused.

"It's this group started by Professor Xavier to help humans accept mutant-kind. We help mutants in need, and try and stop the bad ones that decide to take liberation into their own hands."

"This is all very confusing... I shall have to have you explain it all to me some day." She looked up as Logan entered the front again. "Did you find anything that interested you, Logan?"

"Not today." He crossed his arms. "I think we should get going, kid. Not to cut your visit short or anything."

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Just a hunch, but I think I smelled some company." He crossed his arms.

I pushed up on the counter, and a jolted premonition swept over. Logan's hand was on my shoulder when I opened my eyes.

"What is it?"

"Let's go." I took his hand. "Sorry Mom, we've got to go. You might want to lock up and go home as soon as we leave. I'll call you, I promise."

"What did you see?" Logan asked, once we were already speeding down the street.

"Something I don't want happening." I looked over my shoulder at my Mom's shop. "As long as we're out of the shop, everything should be OK."

"But if it doesn't happen today, whose to say it couldn't happen the next time we go? Mystique was lurking around that shop. I smelled her, but I didn't see her." Logan threw his own glance over his shoulder.

"Just relax. We have to get to the Institute, and ask Professor Xavier if there is anything we can do to protect my parents. I wouldn't put it past Magneto to kidnap one of them for a trade."

"Lets just hope he's not in the mood for that sort of thing today."

"How did your chat with the Professor go?" Logan asked when I saw him later after we had gotten back, when I was sitting in my room reading a book. Rogue was off some where with the others.

"It went fine. He suggested that I keep my contact with my parents to a minimum for the time being." I shrugged.

Logan sat down on the edge of the bed, his hand on my knee, "And what do you think of that?"

"I think it's crap. This whole thing sucks." I put my book down on the side table. "That's probably the most immature thing you've ever heard me say, isn't it?"

"You're allowed to use your kid-vocabulary once in awhile." A smile crossed his lips. "And it does suck. I know I wouldn't want to be separate from my parents. You've dealt with this very well."

"Well you'd learn to deal with it too if your mother threw you from a car to die."

"And yet you've patched things up with her rather quickly, haven't you?" He asked.

"I know it wasn't her fault. It was Daniel's."

"And she's divorcing him now, isn't she?"

"That doesn't mean anything. Yea, he's separated from me and my family, but what's to say he doesn't find another woman, or other mutants he tries to get rid of?"

"Then we'll find them, and help them out, the same way we did with you." Logan's hands on my arms pulled me forward, into his lap. "Alright?"

I smiled, "Any special reason you paid me this visit?"

"I gotta go away on some business... I won't be back for a couple of days."

I got out of his lap, "When will you be back?" I asked.

"Hopefully before your birthday next week."

"Promise?" I asked.

"I'll try my best."

"Promise me."

"I don't make promises, I can't keep, kid."

"You'll keep this one." I put my leg over his, and kissed his cheek.

"I'd glad you see such a ray of sunshine in me, Kid."

"When are you leaving?" I asked.

"Tonight."

"...Do you have to?"

"Yea, I do." He nodded.

"It can't even wait until tomorrow morning?"

"Afraid not, Jo." Logan shook his head. "But you won't even miss me."

"I already do." I looked pitifully at him, "Do you _really_ have to go? You were just out on business."

Logan looked at me just as pitifully, "Yes, I do."

"I guess I better let you go then, huh?" I sat back down on the bed.

"I got _some_ time." Logan teased, kissing me. His hands pulled back through my hair.

"How can I make out with you, when you're going to leave me here, all by myself." I asked.

"You've got Rogue to keep you company...and Kurt, and Kitty, and Jubilee, and the Faerie."

"He's not a faerie, Logan."

"I know that...I just like the look you get on your face every time I call 'im that." He kissed me again.

"Your little soul kisses aren't doing anything for me, sorry." I pushed him away. "But really, have a nice trip. I'll see you when you get back. Buy me something pretty."

"Will do, you little Imp." He let his hand slide down my arm as I got off of the couch. He accepted my kiss of forgiveness as I left my room.

_Logan's POV _

I left a little later then I had planned. I felt awful for leaving Joanna alone, again, but I couldn't let my feelings for her keep me from giving myself the space that I craved. One day, I might bring her along with me on one of my 'quests'. Mostly what this consisted of was driving to Canada, and sitting in a bar playing pool with one of buddies. This week, it was Kevin Morgan. Kev was a good guy I met quite a while back. He knew a little to much about me, so I kept him a little closer then I would most of my friends. He met me back in my cage-fighting days, in a seedy little bar near the Alaskan boarder. I'd almost beat the crap out of him one night, and he decided he liked me.

Kevin was already in a game with his brother, John, when I arrived at our rendevous point.

"About time, Logan. We'd almost given up hope on ye." Kevin handed me a pool stick. "The missus giving ye problems?"

"I ain't married to the girl yet, Kev." I reminded him. "But yeah, in a matter of speaking, she was a little weary to let me go. She probably had a point."

Kevin clapped me on the back, "How old is this broad, anyway?"

I raised an eyebrow at him.

"Well?" John prompted from where he sat on a stool, next to the pool table. "I'm interested in knowin' as well, over here."

"She's seventeen." I moved to pocket the seven ball.

"A regular San Quentin pigeon" Kevin smacked the back of my shoulder. "That's good shit, that is!"

"Stop being crude, Kev." I leaned against the table, and on the pool stick. "And besides, she's eighteen next week."

"Have you boffed her yet?"

"Christ, Kevin! Why would you even ask that?" I spit the beer that John had just handed me back out at him.

"I'm worried about you, Logan." Kevin racked the pool balls in the triangle, handing me the cue ball. "I've never known you have a girlfriend -and certainly not one for this long."

"People change, Kev." I set the cue ball down on the table to break.

"You could blame it on that if you want... I think you're going soft on us, old boy." Kevin leaned next to his brother. "What do you think, Johnny?"

"I say leave the poor guy alone, so we can play pool." John hit Kev in the leg with the end of his pool stick. "What do you say?"

I was staying in my favorite little hotel, near the bar. My room was simple, and cheap, just the way I liked it. Kevin and John had walked to the little house they shared, a couple of blocks away, laughing and leaning on each other for support, through their drunken haze. The beer I had drunk felt foreign, and the cigar I had smoked left a bitter taste in my mouth. Working in a school, and dating Joanna had done something to me.

I flipped on the television, and thought about picking up the phone to call Joanna. The news offered nothing of interest, so I flipped it back off again. I was getting to accustomed to hanging around the Institute, late nights with Jo, and all of the others, watching movies, and joking around with all of them. Maybe I was growing soft. But I could still kick some serious ass if I had to.

The trip was well spent, and I felt refreshed when I pulled the jalopy back into the garage. My bag was heavier then it had been when I left, and I was careful not to drop it when Joanna jumped up into my arms.

"You're just in time." She told me, her legs wrapping tightly around my hips, my arms cradling her south side. "Warren just brought out the cake."

"But your birthday isn't until tomorrow." I looked at her confused.

"Professor Xavier suggested you and I go see my parents tomorrow, so we're celebrating today."

"Nice of him to inform me of this little plan...who was going to go with you if I didn't show?"

"Scott."

"Figures." I kissed her. "C' mon, lets not leave your adoring crowd waiting." I let her slide down me, placing her feet back on the ground. She took my hand, and after I grabbed my bag, we walked out to the kitchen.

"Was your trip productive?" Joanna asked, when we lay on my bed later that afternoon, after cake with ice cream, and _Grasshopper_ malts.

"Yea, it was." I nodded, "Did you miss me?"

"Yea, I did." She smiled.

"Good." I kissed her, my hand moving over her hip, pulling her closer to me. She pushed me onto my back, her hair falling in front of her face. My hands moved up to brush it away, holding back behind her ears.

"You weren't really away on any kind of business, were you?" She asked.

"What do you mean?"

"What do you really do when you go away?"

I was quiet, "What do you know?"

"I had a premonition...of you in a bar, with a couple of guys."

"Then my little secret is out."

"It's not much of a little secret, Logan." She leaned back on, straddling my hips with her knees. "I just wish you could have told me you were going away to get plastered."

"I wasn't getting plastered." I told her. "In fact, I drank very little. I played pool mostly..."

"And who were the guys?"

"Just some people I know... Kevin and John Morgan. I met them when I was traveling a few years back. We like to get together once in a while."

She shook her head, "I have some things I need to do." She swung her leg over mine, and I caught her before she left the bed.

"I don't mean anything by leaving, Jo. I'm just used to having my own agenda, and not having to think about other people. I'm sorry."

"It's OK." She shrugged. "I just wish you wouldn't lied to me." She pressed a kiss to my cheek, and walked away.

Joanna and I left the institute early the next morning, just after sunrise. My jeep wasn't appreciating all of the long trips I had been taking lately, so after an hour or so on the road, I pulled over at a gas station to fill up with the expensive, premium gas, and put in a quart of the good oil.

"You want anything, kid?" I offered to Joanna.

"No, I'm good."

"You positive?" I coaxed.

"Yea." She nodded.

Women, I'll never understand them.

When I got back into the jeep, I sat with my fingers on the keys for a couple of seconds, "Are you still mad at me? About the trip?"

"No, why do you ask?" She clipped her seatbelt back into place, and looked at me expectantly.

"I don't know. You don't seem yourself."

"I'm just tired." She leaned back in her seat, and closed her eyes. End of discussion.

It was another hour and a half, due mostly to road construction that had cropped up, until I parked next to the curb in front of her Father's house. Christy's car was parked behind Stephan's SUV in the driveway.

"Are you coming?" Joanna waited for me on the sidewalk, with her hand outstretched for mine. After locking up the jeep, and sliding the keys into my back pocket, I took her hand, and we walked up the steps together.

The visit with her parents was uneventful. The animal in me just wouldn't shut off. Crazy smells of the people next door, and the cars whizzing by outside... Not to mention Christy's perfume. The whole experience was noxious. I was expecting an attack, that never came. I tried to be pretty quiet, and drink my coffee in silence while Joanna visited with her parents, celebrating her 18th birthday as best as possible. Her mother's flirtation with me however drew out my conversation. Joanna was embarrassed, I could tell. She insisted we leave a little after noon and I was only to happy to comply.

"I'm sorry about my Mom. She flirts with everyone, I swear. I told you she was a twit."

"Well at least she wasn't groping me, like last time." I said, pulling the jeep away from the curb.

"She wasn't groping you!" She scoffed.

"Pretty damn close.:

Joanna laughed, leaning against the door, "Trust me, if my Mother wanted to molest you, she would."

"I'll stay on my toes then, when she's around."

"That's probably for the best." She nodded.

"Are you hungry?" I asked, as we passed by a McDonald's. "Or would you rather wait until we get back to the Institute?"

"Lets wait until we get back." She suggested, leaning back in her seat, and closing her eyes. "I think we've taken a big enough chance just letting me out of the house today. Lets not risk anything."

Something else I was more then happy to comply with.

It was nearly four o'clock when we got back to the Institute. I smelled a barbeque before I even pulled in to the drive.

"Oh yummy, my favorite." Joanna went to hang on Rogue's shoulder, who was instructing Scott Summer's how to cook on an open flame. I sat down near the Professor, who was underneath an umbrella reading a book.

"You're supposed to enjoy the sun, when you're outside, Professor. Not catch up on your homework." I tapped the back of his book, and raised an eyebrow at him.

"Oh, you're back. I'm ever so glad." He closed the cover. "All went well, I hope."

"Well besides Jo's Mom being a twit -her word, not mine, all was pretty uneventful. Maybe the danger is past -in this case anyway."

"No...He must be waiting for something...but I can't think of what." Professor Xavier pondered for a moment.

"Well it's her birthday, all guards are down...this would be the perfect opportunity."

"Not all guards are down, Logan. He knows this is what we suspect."

"Reverse psychology?" I asked.

"Something like that. I've been reading up on some things." He motioned to his book. "On how serial-crimes are organized, and how the minds of the criminals work. It's actually quite interesting."

"Sounds like a real thriller." I picked up the book, and paged through. No pictures, it just figured.

"Hank believes that Magneto will strike some place crowded, with a lot of people. Some place where a shriek wouldn't be noticed."

I thought, leaning back in my chair, "The Bayville Summer Carnival is in three weeks. Giggling kids, screaming on rides... a terror stricken shriek wouldn't be hard to miss. Might turn a few heads, but no one would go after it."

"Exactly what I was thinking, Logan."

"So what do we do? Set a trap? Use Jo as bait?"

"No, no...nothing quite that drastic. I'm sure that if we all put our heads together, we can come up with a plausible plan before the carnival."

"Are you two having a nice little chat?" Joanna came over to sit on my lap. It was surprising to say the least. Joanna didn't typically go for public-displays. Then again, she was perfect legal now, and wasn't holding back.

"You could say that." The Professor leaned on the arm of his chair. "How are your parents?"

"Oh just fine. Not to mention totally oblivious to the real world." Joanna shrugged, "My Mom doesn't seem to understand how much danger I can put them in. She just wants me to come home. I don't know why, but...I don't trust her. She seems different."

"Well, you should always trust your instincts. Although, she is your mother... You may just want to cut back on your time with her." Professor Xavier suggested.

"You know..." I turned to her. "Your Mom...she smelled different today."

"Her perfume was really strong." She shrugged, "Stronger then ususal."

"Like she wanted to cover up something." I whispered, "Jo, go call your Dad, and see if everything is OK."

"Mystique?" She asked.

"Anything is possible."

Joanna got off of my lap, and jogged into the house.

"You really think she could have covered her scent that well?" The Professor asked.

"I don't know, Professor."


	9. Chapter 9

1A/N: The game "Truth", later mentioned, is borrowed from the Sarah Dessen novel, "_The Truth About Forever_", which I highly recommend, and a variation of "The Inappropriate Question Game", which is a game my friends and I play on many occasions.

Chapter Nine

"Logan, my Mom is in the hospital." Joanna was kneeling beside my chair.

"What?" I asked, thinking I hadn't quite heard her right.

"My Mom...she's in the hospital. My dad found her after we left, he went over to her place to get something, and she was just lying the in the kitchen."

"Well, do you want to go?"

"Dad said not to." She shook her head, "She's stable, but he can't see me driving all the way back...even with protection." She held my hand. "I'm scared."

"And you have a right to be. Mystique...she posed very well." Professor Xavier rubbed at his temples, "But at least she's alright."

"So much for having a normal birthday." She sighed.

"Some day." I promised her, "Some day you'll have a...semi-normal birthday."

She put her arms around my neck, and hugged me close, kissing my cheek, "I hope so."

It was after midnight when everyone finally started going to bed, the crowded court yard was suddenly dark, and damp, with the mosquitoes biting hard. Joanna and I were one of the few left in the yard. Professor Xavier had turned in earlier that evening, followed by a couple of the less rowdy students, including the Faerie, who had given us a disdainful look. All that were left in the yard now were Joanna's friends.

"Hey, why don't you kids take your party inside?" I asked, my arm around Joanna's waist, as she leaned on me, "It's getting pretty late."

They bid goodbyes, blowing out the insect candles they passed.

"How about you?" Joanna asked, looking up at me. "You going to bed?"

"Yea, I think I am."

She bumped hips with me, "You want some company?"

"Depends on whose asking to join me." I raised an eyebrow.

She wrapped her arms around me, and I put out the last torch before stepping inside of the porch door, and closing it behind us.

My room was dark when we stepped inside. I didn't need the light, so I didn't turn it on. She started kissing me first, leading me on towards the bed once the door was shut. I didn't even notice when my shirt disappeared. I think she tried one of Kitty's tricks on it to pull it off of me. Her hands were running up my chest, against my throat, behind my neck, pulling me closer.

"Hold on a second." I took her hands in mine, pulling away from her. I sat down on the edge of the bed. "You don't want to do this, Jo."

"What are you talking about? I've waited months for tonight." She shook her head, "All of the kissing, the teasing... That raw animal feeling you give off all of the time. I want to feel all of that."

"You're upset because of your Mom... You don't want to sleep with me."

"You seemed all to happy to have my company a few minutes ago." She pointed out.

"Look," I kissed her softly to show her that I wasn't being a hard ass because I wanted to, "we will...eventually. But not tonight, okay? You're cold, you're tired, and you just turned eighteen. Most girls don't jump into bed with the first guy they see the night they turn legal." I shrugged. "Some maybe, but not you. You're not like that."

She didn't seem to like that notion.

"Is there something wrong with you, Logan?" She asked, after a minute of consideration, "You have a perfectly willing teenager, dying to sleep with you, and you deny me?"

"I'm not denying you, Joanna." I laughed. "I'm...saving you from the world of pain you're going to suffer if you sleep with me tonight."

"What if I want that?" She asked, "What if I told you I was some kind of masochist, sadist?"

"I'd remind you that you're a virgin, and we're talking about a lot of different kinds of pain here." I kicked off my boots under my bed, and reached for her feet. I pulled off her shoes, chucking them on the floor.

"Well I have to experience them all some day, don't I?" She asked.

"But not tonight." I told her, lying down on the left side of the bed, my hand on her waist, "Soon, I promise."

"You promise?" She raised an eyebrow.

"I promise." I confirmed, feeling her scoot down on the bed, and lay next to me, tossing her leg over my knee.

"How soon?"

I smiled, "Go to sleep, kid."

I had just closed my eyes, and was starting to drift off to sleep, Joanna snuggled down against my chest when I heard her whisper, "I love you, Logan."

"I love you too, Jo."

I woke up the next morning in bed, all alone. Not surprising, after looking over the early-mornings events. I wouldn't have been surprised to find her not speaking to me, but luckily (...or unluckily, depending on how you look at it), that wasn't to be true. She was already in the kitchen, talking to Rogue and the Faerie when I walked into the kitchen for my morning coffee.

"Morning." I growled at them. I had a killer headache, that didn't want to let go, and it didn't seem to be caffeine related, "Hey." I leaned over to kiss Joanna's cheek, whispering so that Rogue and the Faerie wouldn't hear me, and get the wrong idea, "I missed you when I woke up."

"Well that's your own fault." She whispered back.

I raised an eyebrow at her, and nodded, "Uh huh. Whatever you say, kid."

"Are you two going to like jump each other now? 'Cause I'd rather not be in the room for that." Warren spoke up, looking disgusted.

"Sorry, but not today, Worthington. Catch us next week sometime maybe." I placed my mug of coffee I had poured, still half full, in the sink. "I've got work to do. Catch up with you later, Jo." I kissed Joanna on the cheek before heading off for the a little chat with the Professor.

_Joanna's POV_

Granted, I was pretty confused, and even a bit miffed when Logan out-right denied me on my birthday of all nights. I've been making out with the guy for six months, not to mention feeling each other up on more then one occasion, and letting our fingers stray to dangerous places once in awhile. If he wanted this as much as I did, which he says he does, why wouldn't he sleep with me? I'm a perfectly capable, eighteen year old woman, with powers that normal people can't even begin to comprehend...the one guy I would even consider going all of the way with turns me down flat... Mind you, I felt totally drunk when it was all going on, and I hadn't even had a drop of liquor.

Logan did the right thing, I know that now.

I spent the morning filling Rogue in on the newest Logan dilemma in the kitchen before Warren came in. She was understandingly patting my shoulder... She thought I was lucky, to be able to have normal human contact... Mind you, absorbing powers isn't always a pleasant experience... Most times, I barely notice it...other times, it's a long and painful process, and sometimes, I just feel this shock racing through my body. Sharing powers with Rogue hurts too... It feels like she's sucking the life out of me, and I'll never be whole again...and as soon as she lets go of me, and I switch to another power, it's like everything is whole again. Rogue is a lot worse off than I am, and I willingly let her live vicariously through me and my escapades.

"He's probably right though, Jo." She sat with her head in her hands, her face tilted, listening intently, "I mean, yea, you've been 'together' for six months, but how much do you really know about each other? It seems like a big step to take, even for six months."

"I suppose..." I shrugged, "And it doesn't really bother me anymore. It's just...he was so adamant that we wouldn't... And he wouldn't give me anything to go on other then that we would do it 'soon'... When is soon? Like tonight? Next week? Thanksgiving?"

Rogue shrugged, giving me a pitiful look, "I don't know, Jo, but if anyone knows what they're doing around here, it's Logan. He only wants what's best for you, and for your relationship with him."

That was when Warren walked in, and we shut up about it. It wasn't long before Logan made an entrance too, teasing me, and then leaving again for a chat with the Professor. To make a short story even shorter, Warren left soon after, remarking on my impeccable taste in men. I didn't remind him that I had also dated _him_ for a period of time. I figured it would be all to cruel.

Logan caught up with me later, outside, while I was sitting in the shade of an oak tree, reading a book off of my summer-reading list for Senior English. The others were caught up in a game of tag-football with a few friends from school who were still around for summer vacation. Including the ever-obnoxious Saundra, who I had hoped I had put far behind me after school let out. I had already stared with loathing at her, and her tight little white t-shirt, and short shorts...and how stupidly cute she looked in her white and red Adidas shoes.

"Bitter much?" Logan asked. I didn't realize I had started to watch their game again.

"No...just annoyed. I don't know why Kurt invited all of these people anyway." I leaned my head against his shoulder when he sat down next to me.

"What are you reading?" He tipped the front of my book forward, _"Catcher in the Rye_...nice."

"You read it?"

"I vaguely remember it." He nodded.

"It's boring." I told him, sighing, tossing it aside. "So, what are you up to?"

"Just spending time with my favorite girl in Bayville."

"As apposed to your girl, where?" I raised my eyebrow, teasing him.

He smirked, before giving me a kiss, "You want to go out for dinner with me tonight?"

"Sure, I'd love to. Where are we going?"

"I thought we could go to a little place by the docks."

"Seafood?"

"Yea, if that's OK. Then afterwards, we can do anything you want. Walk on the beach, go up to the point."

I raised an eyebrow, "_Anything_ I want?"

"Within reason." He put a damper on my parade, kissing me again, "But maybe I'll open up to the idea after awhile."

"And a couple glasses of wine?"

"I'll think about it." He nodded.

"I look forward to it, then." We both turned towards the whoops and hollers of a won football game. Lance fell onto the blanket beside me, followed by Kurt, Bobby, Kitty, Scott, and Jean. Saundra, and the four others from Bayville High stood around us, leaning on the tree, and each other, catching their breath after their game.

"So are you gonna play with us, or what?" Lance asked, picking up _Catcher In The Rye _from where I had set it down, "You can't tell me this is more interesting then getting out and playing a good game of football."

"Football isn't exactly my sport." I told him, taking my book back.

"Okay then...game of your choice?" Lance tossed my book aside again, and I saw him get an intimidated look in his eyes when Logan put his arm over my shoulder.

I looked around, settling on the volleyball net on the other side of the yard, "You care for a game of volleyball, Logan?" I nudged his shoulder, and he raised an eyebrow.

"You're inviting the geezer to play? Wow, I feel special."

"C'mon." I stood up, pulling him with me.

That night, Logan and I walked across the beach in our bare feet, our pant legs rolled up over our ankles as the tide washed up over our feet. We'd left our shoes in a pile up the beach farther, and were holding hands as we walked. We'd started playing a stupid little game called "Truth". It was a good way to learn things about people. The point of the game was to ask the awkward questions. I was glad we were comfortable enough with each other to answer honestly...at least I was answering honestly. I'm sure Logan was too, but no one can ever be sure when it comes to Logan.

So far, I had learned that he hated the color yellow, and in the last ten years he had wandered from place to place, mostly in Canada, before settling with Professor Xavier at the Institute. He had no memory what so ever of his life before, except for little flashes now and again, mostly in his dreams. I had told him about my Mom, and her marriage with Daniel, and my Dad, and his writing. I also told him how I wish my parents would stop worrying about me, and just get back together again, like they were meant to be. I complained to him how they thought I was some fragile little twit, like all of the other girls I used to be friends with.

"If you could be anywhere else in the world right now, where would you be?" I asked Logan, after my spiel.

He thought for a second, then asked, "Would you be with me?" He asked to clarify.

"Sure." I shrugged.

"Back in my room." He smiled at me.

"And if I wasn't with you?"

"In my favorite bar, back in Vermont, playing pool." He admitted, sheepishly, and then turned on me, "Alright, if you could be anywhere right now, where would it be?"

"If you were with me...Your room, with the door locked, and if you weren't with me..." I considered for a moment, "In my Mom's store, looking through all of the old books."

"Well at least we agree on something." Logan laughed.

Then I decided to come in for the kill-question, "How many women have there been, Logan? An honest ball-park count."

Logan thought for a moment, "Less then ten."

"Seriously?" I asked.

"Seriously." He confirmed, nodding, falling back onto the sand next to where we had placed our shoes. "What is it like absorbing other people's powers?" He asked.

"I don't notice it half the time -like when I absorbed yours, I barely even noticed, I just all of a sudden had them. Other times, there is this shock that just kind of waves over my body, and sometimes, rarely, it's this searing pain that seems to last for hours." I took his hand, "Does it hurt when they come out?" I rubbed the area above his knuckles where his claws would release from.

"Yea, but you get used to it." He flexed his hand, and leaned against me, pulling his socks back on, "What's the worst part about your powers?"

"The gloves." I sighed, "I started wearing them because I was afraid of absorbing the wrong persons power, or hurting someone, but they're such a hassle. I can't do anything wearing them. What about yours?"

"Where do I start?" He asked. "I could hurt anyone, and there isn't anything they could do to stop me. And chances are, I'll live longer then anyone else I know. It's not like I'm immortal, but...I could live past a thousand if I quit the game, and tried to live like a normal person...if I wanted to. What's the best?"

"I can do anything." I smiled, staring up into the sky. "I get to do things that normal people can only dream about. Like flying, and everything...it's something most people would die to do, and...I can do it with so little effort. What do you like best about your powers?"

"I guess the living well past normal people is pretty extraordinary... There are to many times to count where I should have died, but I didn't. I get to see things, and remember things, that people fifty years from now will have no recollection of." He pulled me close to him, and kissed me, "Do you love me? Regardless of everything else."

"Of course." I smiled, kissing him back, "How about you?"

"More then anything in the world." He placed a trail of kisses down my throat, his fingers brushing underneath the hem of my shirt, and jacket.

"Is it 'soon', yet?" I asked.

"It's my turn to ask a question." He looked up at me, his eyes boring into mine.

"It was a follow up question, it's totally legal." I crossed my arms.

"No, it's not 'soon', yet." He shook his head, kissing me again. "Ask me again after we get back to the Institute." He hinted.

We sat back in the sand together for a few more minutes, putting our shoes on at a leisurely rate, before we stood up together and dusted the sand from our clothes. Together, we walked quietly towards the jeep, where Logan slid into the driver's seat. He kissed me again before turning over the engine, and we were on our way back to the Institute.


	10. Chapter 10

1Chapter Ten

Logan and I arrived back at the Institute earlier then we had expected. There were still people milling about, bored, and sick of the summer heat. We stopped by the Rec Room to visit with Rogue and Kurt, who where watching a news cast on the abundance of mutant activity. Kurt looked disgusted, and Rogue didn't seem to amused either. I had learned to ignore the media, figuring that if they couldn't appreciate the differences in people, then they obviously weren't people I wanted to deal with personally.

After awhile, we lead ourselves to his bedroom, watching out for people in the halls before slipping inside. I flipped the latch over, locking it, before tossing my jacket over the back of a chair. Logan took his time, kicking his shoes off, under the bed, and putting his jacket away in the closet, before pulling me down on to the bed next to him. Out in the hall, I could still hear people rumbling by, talking in high, shrill voices. I found it slightly amusing how we could do what we were beginning to do, and no one was the wiser.

Logan looked up from where he was working his fingers up under my shirt, kissing my neck, "What are you giggling about?" He accused.

"Nothing." I told him, starting to unbutton his shirt, pushing it back over his shoulders, and pressing my lips to his pecs. His fingers pulled through my hair, and he brought my lips back up to his. Eventually, he managed to toss his shirt off to the side, and pull my shirt over my head in the process.

"Get rid of your stupid shoes." He said, pushing me back into the pillows with a firm kiss, "Stay right here." He eased back off of the bed, to go to the bathroom. He tossed the box he came back with onto his side table, and I watched, bemused, as he undid the snap on his jeans, shoving them off before joining me on the bed again. My jeans followed his soon after, thumping onto the floor. It was almost like Logan was everywhere. His hands, his mouth, his skin melting into mine. I liked how hard his body was against mine. His skin was warm, and I could feel the beads of sweat forming over his shoulders. I stopped noticing the voices outside of the door, and I was still kissing him when Logan slipped on the condom.

"Ready?" He whispered in my ear.

I nodded, pressing my lips against his throat, his fingers pushing my thighs apart.

"Try not to think about it, okay?" He offered, pressing his lips against mine as he took

the deep plunge. I gasped, biting against his shoulder for a moment. He didn't even flinch, "You alright?" He asked, after I let go of his shoulder, little red marks where my teeth had been.

"Yea." I nodded.

He started thrusting up against me, his lips against my shoulder, and my throat, landing occasionally on my lips, where the kiss would linger for an extra moment. When we had both finished, he pressed his forehead against my chest, his back arching, before rolling free of me, and putting an arm around my waist.

"You're not to disappointed are you?" He asked, as I started stroking his arm, pulling the sheets up over myself.

"Not at all." I grinned, "Why do you ask?"

"I wouldn't want to have gone through all of that, and have you disappointed or anything...find out that sex really isn't as exciting as a lot of people try and make it out to be." He raised his head enough to kiss me, before lying back on the pillows, and closing his eyes.

I felt different the next morning -like I had suddenly achieved real womanhood or something. It was strange, but I was wickedly pleased that Logan had finally 'broken down' so to speak, even if I did have this aching soreness on the lower half of my body. Now it was my turn to wake up in bed alone, at almost six AM.

Logan was already awake. I could hear him singing in the shower through the closed bathroom door. I was initially tempted to join him, but as time ticked by, I opted to snuggle down in the blankets and attempt at another hour of sound sleep.

Logan slipped back into bed, still wet. His hair dripped onto my face and shoulders as he leaned over to kiss me, and nuzzle me awake.

"Ugh! Logan!" I covered my face with my hands, blocking the water droplets, "There are these things called 'towels', that you're supposed to use to dry yourself off with... Have you heard of them?"

"Hardy har-har." He scoffed in my ear.

"What are you doing up so early, anyway?" I asked, turning over to look at him. He had a short, thin towel wrapped around his waist, and nothing else. His hair was damp, and curling into little ringlets around his ears.

"I'm usually awake at this hour." He informed me, "Yesterday was unusual."

"Right." I nodded, "Of course."

He nipped another kiss at my mouth, before picking up my clothes from the floor, and tossing it on the bed next to me, "Not to kick you out, or anything, but you might want to run back to your room before the rest of the Institute wakes up. Nothing is more embarrassing then being seen walking down the hall in the same clothes as the night before." He assured me, kissing me again.

Rogue was just waking up when I slipped into our room, undetected.

"Hey." She mumbled, her hair in an unusual disarray, "You have fun last night?"

"What do you mean?" I asked, playing coy, pulling clothes out of my dresser.

"Logan's room is beside Kurt and Warren's. His bed knocked against the wall a few times." She informed me.

"Oh jesus." I sighed, pulling on a clean t-shirt, and covering my face with my hands, "How mortifying."

"If it's any consolation, it _sounded_ like you were having fun." She grinned.

"Thanks, but it doesn't do a whole lot for my self esteem. Who all heard it?"

"Just Kurt, Warren, Kitty, and I. Warren left when the creaking started though. Made some caustic comment about your taste in men, again."

"Oh god." I lay back on my bed. "Anyone else?"

"Not that I know of, but regarding the people who heard, I'm sure everyone will know by morning. Including the Professor."

"The Professor probably knew before we even did it." I informed her.

"Nevertheless, you're both going to have to deal with him. He isn't going to be very pleased, I'm sure."

"Oh god...what was I thinking?" I asked myself, covering my face with my pillow.

"You were thinking you wanted to get things rolling with Logan." Rogue informed me, pulling the pillow from my face, "Stop being such a drama queen...it's not like they can do anything to you now, you know."

"The hell they can't." I sat up, and looked at her. "Professor Xavier, and the rest of the staff have the power to send me out there on my own."

"Professor Xavier isn't going to send you packing just because you slept with your boyfriend." Rogue sat down on the bed next to me. "You're 18 now, you should be allowed to live a little."

I fell back into my pillows again, "I wish I could be more like you Rogue."

"What? Dashingly beautiful, but deadly to touch?" She asked, flexing her fingers, looking at her hands. "I don't wish my curse upon anyone."

"Your power isn't a curse, Rogue. It's a blessing." I told her. "Look at all the people you help."

"Look at all the people I've hurt." She countered.

"That's different." I sighed.

"Look at what you can experience, Jo." She stood back up, pulling my pillow out from under her head, "Get over yourself." She smacked me in the arm with the pillow.

I laughed, and pulled the pillow away from her, hitting her back.

She grabbed a pillow off of her own bed, and we had started a full out pillow fight when Logan knocked, leaning on the doorway looking amused. We both looked worse for wear when we finally noticed him.

"Are you two done goofing around? Breakfast is getting cold."

"We'll be there in a few minutes." I threw my pillow down, and ran my fingers through my hair, straightening my shirt.

"Right." He nodded, moving to reach for the doorknob, "Hurry it up, before there's none left."

Another week flew by, and I was surprised that no one said anything, not even teasing from Kurt, or a sarcastic comment from Warren, about Logan and I. It was fast approaching Fourth of July weekend, and the Annual Bayville Summer Carnival was nearly here. Logan, the Professor, and Mr. McCoy had been working on a secret project together. I wasn't sure when they were going to fill me in on the whole ordeal, but I had a good guess it was about Magneto, and an abduction attempt.

I had become accustomed to waking up in Logan's bed in the mornings, sometimes he was still next to me asleep, other times he would already be in the shower, or getting dressed. I liked it best when he was still asleep beside me, his arms wrapped around me, fingers splayed across my skin. In the earliest mornings, a cold summer breeze would billow the curtains, and ruffle the sheets across us. Only then would he stir, nuzzling his face into my neck, like he did a few mornings before the Carnival.

"Good morning." He whispered in my ear, "Have you been awake long?"

"Not really." I told him, turning only to look into his face, "We should really start shutting that window."

"And then get all sweaty and hot, I don't think so." He countered, kissing me, "C'mon." He ran his hand up my side, as he sat up in bed, stretching his arms behind his head, "Time to get up."

I watched from where I lay on the bed as he made his way towards the bathroom, his feet padding softly against the carpeting. I smirked at his back as he ran his fingers under the elastic of his boxer shorts, and scratched his stomach. He was such a 'guy', and it was amusing.

I didn't get out of bed until I heard Logan turn on the shower. I contemplated joining him for a moment before deciding it probably wouldn't be for the best, and exited for my own room. Rogue was already up, as she often was when I came back after a night in Logan's room, always starved for the details. I gave her a cheery wave hello before I buried myself into my closet looking for something suitable to wear.

"So...what do you have planned for today?" I asked her, before she could ask me for details, "Anything exciting?"

"Professor Xavier is sending Scott and I out to the Savage Land to look for a mutant that may have gotten stranded there somehow. He's been getting some kind of a signal for the last couple of days, but he isn't sure what it is."

"Could be dangerous." I told her, changing behind the door of my closet, "Are you sure that the Professor doesn't want more people out there?"

"It's just a routine survey...nothing special." Rogue shrugged, "And besides, what's the worse that could happen? Unless you want to call up one of those premonitions of yours?"

I had been practicing calling up premonitions, and I closed my eyes tightly, focusing on the idea of savage land. The normal wave of a premonition washed over my body, and I focused.

"Maybe you're right." I told her, after I opened my eyes again, "But my premonitions aren't always for sure."

"We'll be fine, and besides, it isn't as though we haven't been to Savage Land before." Rogue shrugged, and crossed her arms in her lap, "So...how was last night?"

"Same as it always is, Rogue." I told her, smiling, stepping out from behind the closet door, "You're going to get sick of hearing about it all sooner or later. Maybe someday you'll even get to experience it all for yourself."

"I doubt it." Rogue sighed, looking down at her hands, "Besides, it's more fun listening to you then dreaming about it for myself."

"I have a lesson with the Professor in ten minutes." I kissed her on the cheek, "I'll see you when you get back. Don't get into to much trouble, or anything?"

"Bye." She waved me off, watching as I pulled the door shut behind me.

"Logan, are you and the Professor going to tell me what's going on, or do I have to call up a premonition?" I finally asked the next night as I watched Logan get ready for bed.

"What do you mean?" He asked, playing coy as he pulled off his boxer shorts to replace them with a pair of his favorite pajama pants and then slid a white tank over his head, pulling it down over his stomach as he turned to her, "What's the matter, Jo?"

"You and the Professor aren't telling me what's going on with this whole Magneto thing. I'm tired of being left in the dark, Logan."

"Look," He slid onto the bed next to her, and put an arm around her, "We'll fill you in on the plans after we're sure we've got everything organized, alright?"

"Alright." I sighed, kissing him firmly on the lips, "I better go to bed. Good night."

"You're not staying?" He raised an eyebrow.

"No, I think it's better if I stay with Rogue in our room tonight. She's kinda lonely." I shrugged, "I'll see you in the morning though. Don't miss me to much." I kissed him again.

"Goodnight." He saw me to the door, and shut it behind me.

"Wow, actually leaving Logan's room at a decent hour for a change, that's new." I nearly ran right into Jubilee who was on her way to her own room, a floor up.

"Hi Jubilee." I smiled, "I was just going to bed actually. Rogue has been kind of lonely, so I figured I'd spend some extra time with her."

"Well, g'night then. See you in class tomorrow." Jubilee waved me away, and continued on her way down the hall.

Rogue's light was on when I opened the door, "Hey."

"Hey." She looked up from the book she was reading, "What's up?"

"Oh, nothing. Just thought I'd sleep in my own bed for a change."

"Hey, Jo, can I ask you something?"

"If it has anything to do with Logan's penis size, no..." I closed my eyes, falling into bed, "Otherwise, yea, go ahead."

Rogue took a moment to laugh at my joke, and then got serious, "I know this is probably the last thing on your mind, but what if you and Logan got married?"

"What?" I looked up at her, "Logan and I, married?"

"I'm not saying you would, or that you never will or anything like that, but wouldn't it be interesting?"

I looked at her for a long time, "Is this another way you want to live vicariously through me?"

"No, of course not!"

"You'd be my maid of honor, you know." I smiled.

"Really?" Rogue got a hopeful look on her face, "Aww..."

"Of course, you know that Logan and I have no immediate plans to get married...like...ever, right?"

"Well ya...but just knowing that I would be the first choice...that makes me feel so special." She smiled, and closed her book, "So, anyway...what are you doing here?"

"Spending time with my Maid of Honor." I smiled, "What have you been up to? I haven't spent time with you in forever."

"Oh gosh...same-old, same-old... I haven't been doing a whole lot of anything, but hopefully the carnival will relieve the monotony." Rogue shrugged, "How about you?"

"Oh just lessons with the Professor, Mr. McCoy, and Logan, and then Danger Room stuff with Jubliee and some of the younger students, and of course the missions."

"Sounds exciting."

I shrugged, "I'd rather just sit here, and do nothing."

"Ah, the life of an X-Man, right?"

"Right."

"Rogue brought up something interesting last night." I told Logan when I joined him in his bed the next morning, a few minutes before his alarm was set to go off.

"Mm? What's that?" Logan asked, looking at me sleepily, one arm resting over my hips, the other curled to stroke my hair.

"She said it would be interesting, her words not mine, if the two of us ever got married."

Logan raised an eyebrow, "You want to get married?"

"...Are you asking me?"

"Not in that sense."

"Well not right now." I told him, "Hell I don't know if I ever want to get married. What about you?" I raised an eyebrow at him, and he was quiet for a bit before he spoke.

"Maybe someday. In the future." He shrugged, "Someone I could legitimately grow old with, you know?"

I smirked, "How cute. I can just see you in a rocker on a porch in front of a little farm house with a Missus."

"Don't laugh, that missus might be you." He kissed me, and pressed his forehead against mine, "Of course, that will all have to wait until this whole X-Men thing blows over."

"Of course."

"And Magneto like dies or something."

"Certainly."

"You're so gorgeous, how do I ever have proper conversation with you?" He asked, kissing me again, and then looking up at the clock, "Christ, I gotta get up." Another kiss, and he swung his legs out of bed, undressing as he made his way towards the bathroom, "You're more then welcome to join me."

"Maybe later." I grinned.

The opening day of the Bayville carnival arrived and Joanna kissed Logan awake earlier then usual.

"What's the occasion, Kid?" He asked, opening his eyes sleepily.

"Carnival opens up today." She grinned, "Right after the parade at one. Are we gonna go tonight?"

Logan groaned, and rolled over onto his stomach. Joanna pursed her lips, and pushed against his shoulder, "C'mon Logan!"

"You're to young and energetic." Logan groaned, "What am I doing with you?"

I grinned maliciously and leaned down to lick his ear, and he turned further away from me, "You're doing a lot of things with me if you just wake up..."

Logan turned and raised an eyebrow, "Oh?"

"Uh huh."

"You woke me up almost an hour early for play time, huh?"

"Maybe..." I gave him my best little grin, and leaned down to nibble on his ear again.

He hummed for a moment and then wrapped his arms around me, pulling me down onto the bed, his tongue probing my mouth for a moment before releasing me again, "Let me sleep...half an hour."

I squinted my eyes at him, and pursed my lips again, "Don't forget about the early danger-room exercise."

"Aw, no hard feelings." He coaxed, one hand running up my back, and then down the back of my thigh.

"Of course not." I shook my head, and kissed him again, "I'm going out to play tennis with Jubilee. I'll see you after you've had your morning coffee."

"What about play time?" Logan surveyed my tennis outfit, "Since when do you play tennis?"

"Maybe tonight -and I play ." I smiled, and pushed off of the bed, "Go back to sleep."

Outside I joined Jubilee outside on the courts, with a racket I borrowed from a sleepy-eyed Warren.

"Can we just do rally scoring -like in volleyball? I don't actually know how to score tennis." I told her.

"Sure." She nodded, "I really just wanted to play since I started watching Wimbledon on television."

I rolled my eyes at her. Jubilee was constantly changing her favorite sports. Since I had known her it had been hockey, speed skating, snow boarding, basketball, soccer, and now tennis. She was fun, and erratic, and I liked that about her. The way she was constantly changing her mind. And her little firework-like emissions were kind of cool -I hadn't performed them yet myself, not having an ample opportunity, but it was fun.

"What shall we play to? Fifteen?"

"Sure." I nodded, bouncing the tennis ball, "Zero-Zero." I threw the ball up and whacked it at her. She dove, it bounced once, and she drove it back at me. We continued for another few seconds before it whizzed past her racket and she rolled the ball back towards me.

"Nice." She said, "This is fun."

"One-Zero." I smiled, throwing it up again.

We played for awhile, Jubilee winning by a very narrow margin (fifteen-thirteen) and then we decided to head in for breakfast in the kitchen where nearly everyone had congregated, including Logan who sat in the window with his morning paper and cup of coffee.

"Good morning." I kissed his cheek, and sat next to him, "Anything interesting?" I read over his shoulder.

"Not particularly. How was your game."

"Jubilee won, but very narrowly. Only by two points. Before that, I was totally kicking her ass."

"I'm sure you were." He kissed my cheek, and swallowed the last of his coffee, "Don't forget your lesson with the newbie."

"Newbie?"

"That kid that the Professor had us pick up last week...Remy or something like that."

"Oh right. Gambit. The playing card kid."

"Right." He nodded, "Fifteen minutes -you better get changed."

"Right. I'll be there in a few minutes, just let me get breakfast."

"Right." He grinned, putting his coffee cup in the sink, "See you then, Kid."

"How do you get anything done in all of those Danger Room missions you do?" Jubilee leaned next to me by the window, "He is so dreamy..."

"You get used to it." I smiled at her, moving to take a bottle of Sunny-D out of the fridge, and leaning between Rogue and Warren to grab a muffin out of the basket, "Hey Warren, I left your racket out in the hall by the coat rack."

"Alright, you want to hang onto it?" He asked, turning to watch me move towards the door.

"Maybe, I'll let you know. Hey, Rogue, you should come with me to my lesson...This Gambit guy, he's kinda cute... Cajun." I winked.

Rogue raised an eyebrow, "Really? I guess watching wouldn't hurt."

I smiled, "Meet me downstairs, I'm going to go change into my uniform."

"Okay." She nodded.

When I walked into the Danger Room, Rogue was already in the control booth with Logan, flipping through the lesson catalog to decided with scenario would be best. Gambit, wearing a practice uniform stood in the middle of the floor, shuffling a deck of cards.

"Alright," Logan came over the speaker, "Rogue and I are going to run a manual lesson, coming up with stuff as we go, alright? We decided it was best."

"Thanks...thanks a lot." I scoffed at them, "What am I working with here?"

"Why don't we just let Remy here use you for target practice, and you play with those teleport powers, huh? Gambit, go easy on Sundry, we've got a date tonight. So don't decapatate her or anything, alright?"

"I'll try my best." His voice had a sexy little accent to it, and I saw Rogue grin in the control both.

"Does that mean you'll go to the Carnival with me?" I asked, using my a magnetic field to levitate above the floor as Rogue lifted up the different levels. Remy crouched low to the ground as it rose under him. It was clear that this was one of his first danger room lessons, and obviously his first one with me.

"Somebody's gotta be there to protect you when Magneto shows up."

"_If_ Magneto shows up." I reminded him, "Maybe he's given up?"

"Magneto doesn't give up. Now stop talking to me, and get ready, or I'll bring in those tech-plastic guns you despise."

"You wouldn't." I glared.

"Hell yes, I would. Now concentrate." The lights dimmed, and the control booth disappeared behind a jungle atmosphere. Trees grew out of no where, and Remy looked around amazed.

"What kind of place is this, huh?" He asked, "This crazy...Remy likes crazy." He grinned maliciously at me, "What do you say darling, shall we have a bit of fun?"

"Lets see what you got, Cajun." I nodded at him, grabbing onto a tree branch.

"Stop talking." Logan barked at us.

I rolled my eyes and swung down onto the ground, releasing the magnetic field. Remy threw a red-charged ace of diamonds at me, and I ducked, teleporting behind him, where I knocked him over with a small plasma-blast -something I was beginning to learn how to control.

"Ouch!" He rolled over, glaring at me, "What the heck was that?"

"Plasma-blast."

"Just how many powers do you have?" He asked, charging another card, and chucking it at me. I sent it flying back at him and he ducked, letting it explode against a tree, showering the ground with little sparks.

"They don't call me Sundry for nothing. C'mon pretty boy...catch me." I backed up through the tree behind me.

"Hey, this isn't fair." Remy called towards the vicinity of the control booth, "What the heck can't this girl do?"

"Well, as far as I know she can't charge things up like you do..." Logan's voice was lazy and amused.

Remy complained loudly, following me around. I let him keep me in my sights, dodging his playing cards.

"I hope you've got a couple decks on you, 'cause this lesson isn't over until you hit her at least once." Logan said after he had missed me several times.

"Well if she would just play fair..." Remy sighed.

"Life isn't fair, Gambit, and you can't expect everyone to play by the rules. That's why Sundry is a great opponent. You never know what the hell she's gonna throw at you. Now stop talking to me, and get her."

I laughed at him, "You're so funny, Logan."

"Glad you think so, babe."

"Are you two dating or something?" Remy asked me, "Isn't he kind of old?"

I laughed at him too, "C'mon Gambit, hit me already."

He threw another charged card at me, and I teleported behind him, giving him another little plasma-blast.

"Would you stop doing that?" He requested, rubbing his shoulder where I had it him.

"It could be worse." Rogue said, "She could be aiming lower."

Remy sighed, and moved quickly, throwing another card. I moved, but not quite quickly enough, mostly out of pity for the poor kid. I let him hit my shoulder, which shot with pain for a second before subsiding as a minor healing repair, and I touched it gingerly, "That hurts."

"You alright?" He asked.

"Oh yea, already healed...but that sucker packs a punch." I turned as a heard a rustling in the tree, "Oh Logan, not with the freaky monkeys again..." I saw a furry little face in the tree, and I shot a blast at it, and then I decided to try out Jubilee's sparks. I hit one square in the face, and it shrieked, backing down.

"How many are there?" Remy asked.

"We can't tell you that, that would be cheating." Rogue scoffed at him.

"Fewer then 10." Logan hinted.

Remy threw a few charged cards, which sent the vile little holographs back into their fake little holographic sanctuaries. Then a few guns opened fire. I took three of them out with a wave of my hand. I let Remy get the others with a small charged pocket knife.

"You ever tried a boomerang?" I asked him.

"I can never get the things to come back to me." He shrugged, "I can never get the wrist action right. Besides, most of them are kind of bulky. I can only charge small things."

I nodded at him, and watched the scenery change again. I levitated a few inches off of the floor as the jungle changed to a city with tall buildings, and the hustle and bustle of a busy street. I felt the people knock into me, and I went with the flow. The point of this exercise was to be able to blend in. I changed my appearance to street clothes, blonde hair, tall and leggy, and walked between the hustle and bustle as Remy looked around confused.

"Hey, where'd she go?" Remy asked.

"Find her." Logan coaxed, "She can change her shape."

I appeared to enter a store front, really going through one of the walls, coming out on the other side, coming around in a circle and passing right beside him. I watched him grab the wrist of an old lady who hit him with her purse, and pushed on. Remy scratched his head, and I giggled. He threw a charged card at me, hitting me in the stomach. I doubled over, the facade dropping away to reveal my true self, and the city street vanished to cold steel, and Logan looked down at us, with a worried expression from the control booth.

"You alright, Jo?" He asked.

"Yea, I'm fine. Just didn't expect that." I looked at the blood that had gushed over my fingers, and took a moment not to gag. The playing card was laying on the ground, looking slightly burned, but harmless. I felt my healing factor doing it's work, quickly and efficantly, patching together the sliced skin across my stomach.

"Good thing I wore my old uniform." I said, looking at the sliced sleeves, "Pity I got blood all over it...I rather liked this jacket."

"Don't worry, it'll come out." Logan assured me, "Alright, I think that's enough for today. How about we try again tomorrow with Cyclops, Jubilee, and Angel?"

"Sounds fabulous." I said, "I need to go wash my hands now."

"Are you alright?" Remy asked, putting a hand on my shoulder, and helping me up, "I must have put on a little extra with frustration."

"That's alright. You really did me in for one. Christ, look at all of this?" I looked down at my t-shirt, nearly soaked red, "But I'm fine really. Look." I pulled up the shirt just long enough to show him my smoothed-over stomach.

"Joanna!" Logan's voice was rough with warning, and I smiled, pushing my shirt back down.

"Just showing him the quirks of my healing power, Logan. Don't frett. You're still the only guy who gets to see everything else."

I heard him scoff and Rogue opened the door, stepping out into the room with us, "C'mon, Joanna. Lets go get you cleaned up."


	11. Chapter 11

1A/N: I'm sure that Gambit seems very out of character, but that is because I am not that familiar with the Gambit character. I have seen him in the Original Cartoon series, and that is about it... I haven't read that many of the comic books, and I never saw any of the Evolution episodes with him in it...I just know he's Cajun, and he is kind of cute... hehe... I tried though, okay? So a humongous apology to all of the Remy LeBeau fans out there for slaughtering their favorite character (not really, you freaks! It's more of a figure of speech!).

Chapter Eleven

"Are you alright? That was a lot of blood." Rogue dug through my closet for something suitable to wear for the rest of morning before the parade and carnival opening.

"Yea, I'm fine. That sucker packs a fucking punch though. It hurt like hell for a while."

"What do you want to wear?" She asked, pulling random things out.

"Uh, I think I'll just put on what I wore for tennis this morning. I'm sure Jubilee is going to want to play again as soon as she sees me."

"Alright. I'll go get you a rag to wash off that blood, and a bucket to soak that shirt." Rogue exited for the bathroom, returning a few minutes later with a soapy bucket and a wet washcloth, "Here you go."

"Thanks." I set the bucket on the floor, and took off my shirt as Rogue turned to go back through my closet again, flipping through.

"What are you wearing tonight?" She asked.

"I'm not sure." I looked up from where I was washing the blood off of my stomach, after I had plunged my t-shirt into the bucket of water and suds, "Why?"

"Can I borrow these tonight?" She pulled out a pair of black jeans with little yellow skulls stamped on them.

"Sure. There's a shirt that matches them in my third dresser drawer Wear your black denim jacket over it, with a pair of those baseball gloves."

"Good idea." Rogue moved over to my dresser to riffle through for the shirt while I changed back into my white tank top, and cargo shorts.

We both looked up at the knock on the door as I was pulling the zipper up on my shorts.

"Who is it?" I called.

"Just me. You decent?" Logan asked through the door.

"Yea, come in." I invited him, moving to my dresser.

"Are you alright?" He asked, opening the door, "Hey Rogue."

"Hey." She sat down on the bed to riffle through her side table drawer looking for the gloves I had suggested.

"I really wish people would stop asking me that. I'm fine now." I slid my feet back into my white sneakers and sat on my bed to tie them, "What time is it?"

"Not quite ten yet." Logan said, leaning in the doorway, watching me tie my shoes, "Jubilee is looking for you."

"Alright." I nodded, "She probably wants another tennis game."

"When did you get that shirt?" His eyebrow raised when I looked up at him.

"Um...after school ended, why?"

"I like it."

"Oh jeez." Rogue shoved the drawer back in, and got up, gloves in hand, "Let me at least leave before you two get all over one another, alright?"

Logan grinned, "Sorry Rogue."

Rogue pushed past him into the hall, and Logan closed the door behind her.

"You know...we haven't done it in _your_ room yet."

"That's because I have a roommate." I put my arms around his neck, and he lifted me up, wrapping my legs around his hips, "A roommate you may remember as the girl who just left...named Rogue."

"Who?" He kissed me, making his way over to the bed.

"Oh c'mon...you had your chance this morning. It's to late now."

"It's never to late." He growled in my ear, biting down softly on my earlobe.

"No, c'mon..."

"Not even quick?"

"No." I shook my head.

He sighed, and dropped me back down onto the floor in front of the bed, "Damn."

"Maybe later, if you're well behaved." I winked, and gave him another kiss, and then stepped away from him to pick up the tennis racket I had borrowed from Warren, "I'm going to go find Jubilee. I'll see you later."

At the carnival later that afternoon, Logan was keeping close, with one arm wrapped possessively around my waist.

"Logan, are you going to tell me what's going on?" I asked, as we approached the line for the Tilt-a-Whirl.

"The Professor thinks that Magneto might use the Carnival as an opportunity to try and kidnap you again. I promised him I'd keep you on a short leash -is that okay?" He asked, looking down at me.

"Sure." I nodded, "But you and the Professor should know by now that I can take care of myself."

"Yea, but it's fun just to pretend for awhile." He gave me a quick kiss just as my name was called from behind me. Lance was sauntering up with his arm over the shoulders of Saundra, who was looking perky in a yellow sun dress and matching high top sneakers.

"Hey Lance." I pulled away from Logan to bump hips with him while Saundra looked at us distastefully, "What's up? Where you been? I haven't seen you around."

"I had to go visit my Grandparents in New Jersey." He shrugged, "How about you?"

"Oh, you know...just hanging around the Institute, staying out of trouble." I shrugged.

Lance nodded, and looked down at Saundra as she tugged on the hem of his shirt, "What?"

"I'm hungry, Lance..." She pouted, "Can we go get some cotton candy?"

"Yea, sure." Lance dug into his wallet and handed her a five, "Here you go."

She stomped on his foot as she turned around, and Lance winced.

Lance came back up, putting his arm around my hip again, "I really hope you don't like that girl...or that five bucks, because I really don't think you're going to be seeing either again."

Lance shrugged, "I only came with her because she was an easy date...and I can always sucker another five bucks out of my parents."

I smiled, and put my arm around Logan's, "Well, we better go find the others. I'll talk to you later, Logan."

"How exactly do you know that guy?" Logan asked, after we had gotten out of hearing distance of Logan.

"He was my Chem-partner." I explained, "Nothing more, I swear."

"You sure?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Positive." I assured him.

We both turned around when Kurt suddenly grabbed onto my shoulders, Rogue yelling from behind him.

"Kurt!" Rogue warned him, "What did I tell you? Let them alone, alright? You're like a little kid." She looked good in my jeans and shirt with the jacket and gloves I told her to wear. She had found a skull-cap hat that matched perfectly on the top shelf in my closet.

"It's ok." I told her, linking an arm with Kurt, "Hey, we're going to go on some rides, Logan. You want to come with, or are you going to brood and watch?"

"I think I'll brood and watch. You be careful."

"I'll be fine, Logan." I kissed his cheek and went off with Kurt and Rogue.

"What's Logan's problem?" Rogue asked, linking my other arm.

"Nothing, he's just worried about the whole Magneto thing, but I think that everything will be just fine."

"Did you try a...you know. Premonition?" Rogue lowered her voice as we got into the Tilt-a-Whirl line.

"No...and I haven't gotten one, so I'm just not going to worry, okay?" I shrugged, "C'mon, it's loading."

The three of us managed to squeeze into one of the carriages. I loved the feeling you got on the Tilt-a-Whirl -the way the carriage would spin the opposite way of the ground, and the way it would lift up and down, and then suddenly shift direction. Rogue however wasn't as enthusiastic about it and didn't join Kurt and I on our second run. After that we played games, Logan playing bodyguard, lurking behind us. I snuck the use of my telepathy to help Rogue win large stuffed lion, and Kurt to win a poster of his favorite actress at a dart game.

"So, you helped them win what they wanted..." Logan put an arm over my shoulder when Kurt and Rogue ran ahead to get into line for the bumper cars, "What about you?"

"I don't want anything." I smiled.

"You sure? 'Cause I don't need your help to win anything."

"Alright Mr. Logan... Lets see your stuff." I paid the man behind the counter the two dollars to play, and handed the darts to Logan.

Logan cracked his neck to the side, and then threw one dart. It hit a one, and I giggled, "Hey, I never said I was good with darts. I'm a little more educated with knives -you should know that." He threw another one and hit a six. I clapped sarcastically.

"Good form, but are you sure you don't want a little help?" I asked.

"I think I can do it just fine." He threw the last dart, and nailed a solid eight.

"Fifteen points -that's good for anything right here in front." The man said, pulling the darts from the board.

"What do you want?" Logan asked, hooking a thumb through one of my belt loops.

"How about this cute little teddy bear? Except you have to hold it." I picked up a little pink teddy from the pile, and shoved it into his arms.

"Why do I have to hold it?" Logan asked, looking disgusted at the little pink 'thing' in his arms.

"Because you won it, silly." I kissed him.

The guy behind the booth raised an eyebrow, "Her parents know about you?" He asked Logan, his eyebrows raised.

"I'm pretty sure they encourage it." Logan informed him.

"Well my Mom at least." I rolled my eyes, "C'mon, lets go find Kurt and Rogue again."

"I think I saw them getting on the Ferris wheel." Logan took my hand and we walked through the hordes of people towards the Ferris wheel where I could see Rogue looking a little worried and Kurt was whooping loudly at the top.

"If Rogue doesn't like this stuff, why does she come to these things?"

"I don't think it's that she doesn't like them...I think it's Kurt."

"Oh yea, being on a ride that puts me a hundred feet in the air would with him would freak me out too." Logan shrugged.

Rogue and Kurt joined us on the ground again a few minutes later, and we caught up with Jean and Scott who were giggling and sharing a cotton candy cone, as well as Jubilee, Bobby, and Kitty who were playing the sport-like games in one of the lanes.

"Hey, has anyone seen Remy?" Rogue asked, one arm around mine, the other hand around a bottle of water she kept swigging from, "I thought I saw him leave with Warren...I haven't seen Warren either."

I shrugged, "I haven't seen either of them...I hope they aren't getting into trouble." Then I stopped, dead on the spot. My eyes were open, but I wasn't seeing anything what was in front of me. The Shot-Basket game was blowing up, and a token booth was shattering. Dust was everywhere, and after a moment to let it settle, I saw the shape of several figures. I could identify two of them as Magneto and Mystic. The others were a mystery.

"Jo...Joanna, are you alright?" Logan had an arm around me, and I turned to look at him as everything came back into focus.

"I'm fine...but...I think we should...we should probably go."

"What? Why? We were just starting to have fun." Kurt bemoaned.

There was a loud explosion, and we all turned. The Shot-Basket game had just exploded, and the token booth beside it was in pieces. The air was thick grey with debris and dust, and smoke. Flames licked the ground, and people screamed, running from the grounds. I turned and everyone else was in their uniforms. A quick trick and I was in my uniform as well. The dust was settling, and I felt Logan move beside me, unleashing his claws.

Magneto and Mystique came into view, and then the others. Their own uniforms were obviously suited to their powers. One was dressed in a silver skin-tight (and I mean a _skin tight_) body suit decorated with a green lightening bolt across it. Another was a woman dressed in a long red dress, her hair tied back with a thick red ribbon. She looked like she might trip on the stiletto heels she was wearing. Another of them took up the space of three men, and was extremely fat. Of the last two, one was crouched on the ground, I couldn't tell what he was supposed to be, then I saw his tongue as he flicked it at the group of us. The last was attractive, wearing a navy blue uniform with calf-length boots, and a helmet. I took it that he was the one that caused the ground to rumble underneath us, and I reached for Rogue as I created my magnetic field, touching her face only long enough for the power to transfer before letting go. Magento joined the two of us in the air.

"You've learned to use my powers really well... I was hoping for that." His voice was cool.

I got a little ahead of myself and threw the first punch of sorts. I nailed him in the chest with a plasma-blast and he was thrown backwards, his field broken, and he dropped down to the ground. Below Rogue and I, people were still screaming, and running around in terror.

"Hey Girls." Warren hovered next to us out of no where, "What did I miss?"

"Where the heck were you?" I asked, crossing my arms, "You and Gambit like disappeared?"

"Sorry Sundry. I was just showing him around." Warren shrugged, "C'mon, lets do this." He dove down over the bodies already in action, and Rogue and I went for Magneto, who was coming to after his fall.

"Are you so weak that you need a friend to defeat me?" He asked, rising again, throwing a look at Rogue.

"I'm not weak. She just needs practice." I managed, in my array of powers, to find one that would hold him, while Rogue pulled off a glove, pressing her hand against his cheek. His body wrenched the longer she held on. Finally she let go, her own scream emitting, and she dropped down to the ground. After making sure that Magneto was out, I followed her.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

"I...I...just..." She looked up at me, "He rebuilt his machine, Sundry. He wants to brain wash you to join the Brotherhood."

"Contact the Professor, and Storm, and anyone else at the Institute. I think you gave him enough of a shock to keep him out for an hour at least." I left her to make her contacts, and took over the fight Jean was losing against the Red woman.

"Who are these people?" I asked her, after I had wacked the witch over the head with a peice of scrap iron, knocking her unconscious in a large red heap.

"That is Scarlet Witch...you might want to watch out for her in the future." Jean wiped her forehead with her sleeve, as I touched Scarlet Witch's forehead, the nasty shock of her power numbing my fingers, and I groaned.

"I don't think I'll have to worry about her."

I sighed, and lifted various pieces of metal, pushing them into all of the Brotherhood mutants, knocking them over, stunning them temporarily.

Then Gambit decided to make his appearance.

"Fabulous work, doll." He winked at me, "Remy is sorry he missed all of the action, but it looks like you lot can take care of yourselves."

I pelted him with the little tokens from the booth that littered the ground.

"Excuse me, but a little help here?" Logan growled at me, Mystique having regained her balance and was now fighting with him adamantly.

I sighed, picking up a rod in my hand, and hitting her hard over the back of the head. She crumpled liked a half empty sack of flour onto the ground.

Warren dived down swiftly, pulling up in time to kick the Lightening bolt kid into a telephone pole as he was about to jump me. The only ones left were the Blubber-butt, Toad, and Helmet-Head. Our sides were clearly drawn, and they were obviously outnumbered, but it didn't mean they wouldn't try. Those of us who could fly lifted into the air as the Helmet made the earth rumble, and the Toad flicked his tongue into the air, trying to wrap it around Warren's ankle. He was thrown back by a bolt of lightening as Storm entered the scene.

"Sorry I'm late..." She said, hovering beside me, "I see you all take good care of yourself though. Only two left."

"Thanks to you." I smiled, "And hell we can take Blob over there, and the little Earthquake."

"That's Avalanche." She informed me, "He's new to the game."

"Avalanche...nice. Lets see how he likes Plasma." I let the little green wisps of fury wrap around my fists, and I blasted them at him, slamming him backwards with the blasts. His head made a cracking sound as he hit the ground, and we all turned on Blob. His eyes got big, and then mean and he thundered towards us. Jean used her telekinetisis to stop him, Jubilee, and I showered him with sparks, Gambit threw his playing cards, and it wasn't a whole heck of a long time until he went down.

"Lets get these guys back to the Institute." Storm commanded.

I set my feet back down on the ground, and surveyed the damage as the others went to work. The grounds were empty now except for one person. Lance. He was looking at me with a confused look on his face, but I couldn't bear to even look at him. It wasn't that I was ashamed of what I am... I love my powers...but I couldn't bear that look. The look that normal people gave mutants. He felt sorry for me, but really, I felt the pity for him that he wouldn't never get to feel that exhilaration. After I made sure that everyone was on their way, I walked up him.

"I'm really sorry about all of that." I said, "You shouldn't have seen it."

Lance put his hands in his pockets, "So...you're a mutant, huh?"

I nodded, "And now I have to wipe your memory..."

"What? Why?"

"It won't hurt, I promise..." I reached up to touch his forehead, and he grabbed my wrist to stop me.

"Don't." He said, "I'm not going to tell anyone...Hell, it's kind of cool, they way you guys kicked ass."

I laughed, and put my hand down, "I really have to, Lance...The Professor would do it, even if I didn't."

"Why does the Professor have to know anything?" He asked, "C'mon...we're buddies. I don't sell out on my friends, Joanna...or what was it they were calling you? Your little codename?"

"Sundry!" The name came from behind us, "Lets go." I turned to see Logan lugging Quicksilver over his shoulder, "This is the last one."

"I really have to, Lance. I'm sorry." I touched his forehead, and he went still. I extracted the last half hour of his memory, and then disappeared before he came to.

"You want some help with him?" I asked as I approached Logan.

"Naw, just hold the van door open for me." Logan said, hefting Quicksilver higher onto his shoulder, "This kid is dead weight."

I held open the door, and he tossed him in unceremoniously.

Later that night, we all sat in a conference room having a sort of team meeting, our eyes occasionally drifting to the security screens focused on each of the rooms we had our little prisoners in. They were slowly coming too, Scarlet Witch first. She looked pissed.

"To bad we didn't kill any of them...mind you, that would have been kind of messy." Gambit sighed, watching the screen as Quicksilver started to wake up, "Who are these people, anyway?"

"They are all part of the Brotherhood of Mutants... Magneto's band of miscreants." The Professor said, "I've contacted a few people I know at the Muir Island base -the place where they keep Juggernaut... They've agreed to house Magneto there as well, but the others, I'm afraid we will have to turn over to the police, and let them deal with them."

"Why don't we just kill him?" Logan asked, unleashing his claws, "I volunteer to do the deed too."

"No." The Professor told him, "We will put him into a tank."

Logan retracted his claws again, and crossed his arms, "How are we transporting him?"

"How long will he be out, Joanna?" The professor asked.

I sighed, looking up at the clock, "Maybe another...half hour or so?"

"Do you think if Rogue gave him another little...jolt, he'd stay out long enough to get him on a jet?"

"I think we should put him in that plastic casing we've been playing with, just in case."

"Good idea, Joanna. Rogue, Jean, go pay Magneto a little visit. Joanna, you and Ororro go get the case ready, and on the jet." Logan, you go with Rogue and Jean to carry him to the jet. You all accompany him to the facility."

"Hey, what about the rest of us?" Gambit asked, "We sit here and babysit the Brotherhood while they go on a little trip to Scotland?"

"It isn't a vacation." I told him, "It's business."

The Professor thought for a moment, "There will be other missions for you to go on, Remy."

Remy sighed, and turned to watch the monitors again, "Blob is wakin' up...and he don't look to happy."

"He'll be fine." The Professor said, "The walls are reinforced to contain him perfectly.

"Alright, lets get to work." Storm clapped her hands together, and we all set off to do our jobs.

It was very late when we set the jet down at the Scotland facility. Security guards helped us to unload the plastic casing where Magneto was still passed out, into the building and into a containment room. Greenish looking liquid was swirling in tubes, and a large plastic tube like object was sitting in the center of the room. Storm and I helped the guards to unload him into the tube, clamping his hands and his feet into shackles, and removing his helmet and cloak. He looked very small, and pathetic in the casing. As soon as we had stepped out, the tube closed, and the greenish liquid began to fill the tank. His body lifted off of the floor, floating, his body pulling at the restraints lightly.

"Guess your out of harms way for awhile, huh Sundry?" Storm raised an eyebrow at me, and Logan put his arm over my shoulders on my left side, Rogue wrapped her arms around my waist, hugging me on my other. Logan took a second to pat her head with his gloved hand, and then kissed my cheek, "C'mon kid, lets go home."


	12. Chapter 12

1A/n: I suck at writing certain charecters...Avalanche (via Evolution) fans forgive me...please.

Chapter Twelve

I slid into my own bed, wanting to be alone and not tugging blankets back from Logan (who liked to hog them). I was still almost fully dressed, except for my shoes which I had kicked off near the door somewhere, and my jacket which I had tossed on the floor. My belt was somewhere in the hallway, and I was exhausted.

"G'night Rogue." I sighed, and closed my eyes. I was asleep almost instantly. My dreams were riddled with snippets of the nights events, and clearing Lance's memory. I was glad that Magneto was finally caught, and put away where he belonged, but I worried about the others in Magento's band of merry men (and women). Would Mystique try and take over Magneto's work? What about Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch, who I had found out were Magneto's children.

Would they take over the Brotherhood and come after me as well?

I woke up the next morning relatively early, considering the previous evenings events. Rogue was still asleep when I got up for a shower, and got dressed. The school was quiet when I walked down to the kitchen, and I was surprised to find the Professor making a morning pot of coffee.

"Good morning, Joanna." He greeted me, "I trust all went well on the mission last night?"

"It was fine...it felt like the end of an era or something." I yawned, opening the fridge and removing an apple juice box, "But I'm worried, Professor. What if the others try to come after me? Just because we took away their leader doesn't mean that they won't stay organized."

"I've thought about that as well, Joanna." The Professor pressed his fingers to his lips, "But I believe that Mystique will be more then happy to just go on her way. If we have to worry about anything, it is them trying to break Magneto out, but heightened security at the containment center should help with that." He turned as his coffee finished brewing, and he poured himself a cup, "Besides, you're to young to worry. Go out and have some fun."

"Thank you Professor."

"For what?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

"For everything." I bent down to hug him for a moment before taking my juice box out to the rec room to watch the Bayville Morning News.

"So what did they say about the Carnival getting trashed?" Kurt asked, sitting down on the couch next to me as the news was finishing.

"They owed it to a gas leak, or something. No eyewitnesses to put us there, and I wiped Lance's memory, so-."

"Wait, Lance was there?" Kurt raised an eyebrow.

"Yea? So?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"What was Lance doing there?"

"He must have seen us change or something...I don't know what he was doing there, Kurt! I'm not Lance's keeper! I wiped the memory, so what does it matter?"

"I guess it doesn't...It just surprises me. Lance's parents disowned his brother you know, two years ago. He's living somewhere down south." Kurt moved on the couch, "He a habit of blowing things up."

"Lance's brother is a mutant?"

"That's what I've heard."

"So his parents are like...bigots or something?"

"Something like that..." Kurt shrugged, "It's probably a good thing that you erased his memory."

I crossed my arms, and stared at the television, "Before I cleared his memory...he said that he was okay with it...that it was 'cool'..."

"Well Lance may not be like his parents, but it's still a good thing."

That bugged me for the rest of the day, that Lance had a mutant brother, and never told me. Although I guess with parents like his, he probably didn't want to talk about his brother to much.

"Hey Jo!" Kitty phased through the couch coming to stand in front of me, "Lance is on the phone, he wanted to know if you had some book on the reading list."

I sighed, getting up off of the couch to go to the hall telephone, "Hey Lance, what's up."

"Hey Joanna. I was wondering if you still have that copy of Catcher In the Rye... I thought my Dad had a copy, but he seems to have misplaced it."

"Oh, yea, sure. Why don't you come by this afternoon and pick it up." I glanced over at the Visitor's Chart next to the phone, "Around One?"

"Yea, that's cool. -Hey, do you have sometime today, we could just talk?" He asked.

"Yea, sure." I nodded, "I'm not doing anything to much today." Except babysitting the dorks from the Brotherhood...the Avalanche guy was still pretty cute, and he wasn't trying anything to funny as of late, so he kind of irked me.

"Okay, I'll see you in a little while then. Bye."

I sighed and hung up the phone to go back into the den where Kurt had switched the television to cartoons.

"What did Lance want?" Kurt asked.

"He wanted to borrow Catcher In the Rye. I told him to come over around one, so get word around, okay?"

"Alright."

"Well, I guess I better go tell Warren that I'll take over his babysitting duty for awhile. Will you tell Rogue to come see me when she wakes up?" I looked over at the clock. We had set up shifts before we had departed for Scotland the night before.

"Sure." Kurt nodded, "Anything."

"Hey Warren." I walked into the control booth with the different television screens showing all of the different containment rooms. All of them looked pretty bored.

"Hey." Warren turned, still in his uniform from the night before, "How was your trip?"

"Uneventful, thank god." I sighed, sitting in the chair next to him.

"Well, this job is even more boring, just to warn you. The only exciting thing so far is when Blob tried to power-haul his way through the door... He bounced back like five feet. It was hilarious."

"What about the Avalanche kid." I asked, tapping the monitor, "He seems...different."

"Are you getting a little crush?" Warren raised an eyebrow, "Do I need to remind you about your little...boyfriend?"

"No..." I shook my head, "He is so not my type...and besides, he's really more of an interesting specimen then a romantic escapade...you were a romantic escapade... Avalanche is a science experiment."

"Well, I think he's tried shaking his room a couple of times. The Professor must have some kind of a field around it."

"I want his power..." I sighed, "I hate it when I covet a power..."

"Me too." Warren kissed my cheek, "But you keep day dreaming, and maybe the Professor will let you pay him a visit later. I'm going to go to sleep for a few hours, and Kurt is supposed to come relieve you before lunch."

"Bye, Warren." I waved him away, my eyes on the monitors.

The Brotherhood mutants didn't move around very much. To entertain herself, Mystique was shifting into different people, myself included. Scarlet Witch was brooding in the corner of her room, and the Blob was staring hungrily at his pillow.

I pressed the intercom button for the Professor's office, "Professor Xavier?"

"What is it, Sundry?" He replied a moment later.

"Are we feeding these people? Blob is about to eat his pillow."

I heard the Professor laugh, and almost immediately afterwards I saw little cubbyholes open in each of the rooms with a plate of steaming food, and a drink.

"Thank you for reminding me, Joanna. I almost forgot that our hostages need to eat as well."

I turned back to the monitor where Blob and Toad were munching away happily, and the others seemed to eat half heartedly, probably pissed off that one girl had taken them all out.

I turned when there was a slight knock on the door and Rogue entered the booth.

"Hey." She yawned, sitting next to me, "What's up? Kurt said you wanted to see me?"

"I just wanted some company. I'm kind of bored up here all by myself...and these guys are very boring...almost to boring." I leaned to look at the screens a little more closely.

"Kurt will come to take over in about an hour, and the Professor is working on finding someone to take them into a different facility."

As I watched the screens, Rogue and I talked about the nights events.

"That was really cool when you just picked up that rod from the Token booth and hit Mystique over the back of head." Rogue couldn't help but laugh, "She just like crumpled."

"Well the look of shock on Magneto's face when you held onto him for so long...jeez, you knocked him out for almost two hours."

"That power is so cool. I'm jealous you get to use it all of the time."

"Well, it is my favorite."

"Well it is the one that's most likely to be useful. Unless you were in a plastic bubble or something..." Rogue shrugged.

Kurt came in early to take over, so I left with Rogue to go to lunch, and then we met Lance outside on the steps.

"Hey Joanna...Rogue." he nodded at her. Lance wasn't particularly familiar with Rogue, but didn't dislike her.

"Hey, the book is up in my room, it should be safe to venture up there." I stood up, dusting off my jeans, "Rogue, why don't you...uh...go find Logan for that...lesson."

Rogue took the hint, and made herself scarce as Lance and I walked up to the room.

"Excuse the mess, we've been kind of to busy to clean up lately." I paused for a second before opening the door.

"That's alright, it can't be any worse then my room." Lance shrugged.

He followed me inside, and made himself comfortable in my desk chair while I found the book, shoved into the drawer of my bed-side table.

"Here you go." I handed him the book, "Now, you...wanted to talk to me?"

"Yea, about last night..."

"What about last night?" I asked, raising an eyebrow, "That gas leak was something, wasn't it?"

"You're a horrible liar, Joanna." Lance sighed, "Look...I know you tried to like...erase it or whatever, but...I remember, okay? I remember all of it?"

"Remember what, Lance?" I asked.

"You, and your boyfriend, and all of your friends here... I saw you last night."

"Yea, we were at the Carnival, but..."

"Look, I don't know who those people were, or what they wanted, or anything, but I know that they got their ass's kicked, and I saw you do the ass kicking... Everyone else did well too, but you were extra special."

"Look, Lance, I don't know what you're talking about, or know what you think the Institute is, but we're just like any other school."

"Yea, for mutants."

"Excuse me?"

"I saw you _fly_, Joanna...or should I call you Sundry? Do you guys only go by your code names when you're fighting people, or do you use them all of the time?"

I got out of my chair, "Think you should leave, Lance."

"Look, I know what I saw."

"I don't know what you saw, but..."

Lance stood up too, "Look, I know you tried to wipe that memory out of my head, but it didn't work, okay? I just...I just wanted you to know that...I won't tell anyone about you, or your friends, or anything about the institute."

"Get out, Lance."

"Joanna! I thought we were friends."

"I said, get out." I opened the door calmly, "You know your way out." I pushed him through the doorway, and then slammed the door in his face before turning and slowly dropping down door. How could Lance remember what happened? I had wiped his memory, hadn't I?

I went to the window to watch for Lance's car to leave. After I saw it pull away from the main doors, I rushed down to the Professors study.

"Professor, I want you to erase my memory."

"Excuse me?" He raised an eyebrow on my outburst, looking up from his paperwork.

"That boy from school, Lance... I erased his memory last night after he saw us fighting the Brotherhood...and it didn't work."

"I thought I may have felt the presence of extra mutant in the school a few minutes ago..." The Professor clasped his hands together, "What's the name of his boy? Lance?"

"Yea, he's was my Chem-lab partner."

The Professor thought for a moment, "Invite him back again sometime, Joanna. I think I want to meet this boy..."

"Hi Mrs. Hang." It was Lance's mother that answered the phone when I called him later that evening, "Is Lance home?"

"Well he sure is, who may I say is calling?"

"It's Joanna, from school."

"Well you just hold on for a second, Joanna, and I'll go get him." She sounded like a nice person, not someone would disown a son, or sons, for being mutated (it wasn't like it was there fault).

"Yea?" Lance asked, sounded slightly annoyed.

"Look, I wanted to apologize for earlier. It was uncalled for."

"No shit, Jo."

"I'm sorry, okay? The Professor wanted me to invite you over tomorrow. He wants to talk to you."

"Who?"

"Professor Xavier... He's the...headmaster of the Institute. He just wants to talk."

"And what do I get out of this deal?"

"Answers."

Lance was quiet for a few minutes, "Alright, fine. What time?"

"Any time is fine. We obviously don't have to hide around you anymore."

"I always wondered why the hell you guys had visiting hours...I figured it was something about being a boarding school..."

"Just come by any time tomorrow, okay?"

"Yea, I'll see you then and I'll talk to the Professor."

"Bye Lance."

"Bye Jo."

I hung up the phone, and sighed. Life was to complicated, which was weird because I had just gotten rid of my nemesis...but I had a feeling that my problems were just starting to begin.

Lance showed up the next morning around ten when I was sitting out on the front porch arguing with Jubilee about tennis.

"Am I interrupting something?" Lance asked, raising an eyebrow and leaning against the porch railing, "Or am I just in time for a cat fight?"

"No, of course not." I stood up, and brushed off my jeans, "Look Jubilee, I'll play with you after this meeting with the Professor, alright, I promise. Why don't you ask Warren or Kurt to play with you for now? Or Remy... He needs a friend. Besides me."

Jubilee sighed, "Remy doesn't like me...and I don't like Remy."

I sighed, "Why don't you go practice your serves? There is a bag of tennis balls in the back shed."

"She's a tough little bugger to get rid of, isn't she?" Lance followed me into the front hall.

"Yea, but she's sweet." I sighed, "C'mon, the Professors office is this way." On our way to the office, we passed Kurt, in full blue-fur, Kitty phased through the hall, into the kitchen, and Warren walked out of the kitchen eating a pear. He shifted his wings down below his shoulders, out of sight.

"Joanna! You're supposed to schedule visitors" He reminded me.

"The Professor wanted to talk to him, and besides, he already knows about us."

"Oh..." He looked dumb for a moment, shifting his wings back up over his shoulders, and continuing on his way.

"So...uh...what do you do?" Lance asked, "I mean...obviously you can move stuff around, and fly, but..."

"I do a little of everything." I knocked on the Professors study door.

"How about your boyfriend -sorry, Logan?" Lance asked, as the Professor called to enter.

"He's got claws." I smirked as Lance's eyes widened slightly, and I opened the door to the Professors study.

After the meeting with the Professor, where we learned that Lance was able to block off any kind of telekinetic power used against him, which was the extent of his power so far, we left the Professor's study and I showed him back downstairs.

"Well, you're more then welcome to hang around the Institute...There aren't that many of us around during the summer." I offered, "You can watch Jubilee kick my ass at tennis..."

Lance laughed, and started to reply when suddenly an alarm was triggered and the Professor's voice entered my head, "_X-Men! Our hostages have found means of escape!"_

"Sorry Lance, uh...stay here in the rec room, I'll be back soon." I pushed him towards the door where Rogue and Kurt were running out, Kurt teleporting his way down the hall. I beat them all down to the lower levels, cutting off Scarlet Witch as she made her way to the passage enterence.

"Not so fast, Red." I tripped her, sending her into Toad, who was right behind. The others joined me a minutes later.

"You're fast." Kurt noted.

"Thanks to you." I took a moment to pat his head. Logan took the time to repair the switch that Blob had broken in his room to open all of their doors, putting a new reinforced lock over it in at sonic speed, while we managed to get the rest of them back into their rooms. Scarlet Witch didn't look happy and I felt her trying to use her Hex power against me -which didn't work as I was just throwing it back at her, canceling them out.

Avalanche was having a hard time with his power as well, growing frustrated when he couldn't get his earthquake effect to work in our underground tunnels. Quicksilver however was being evasive, speeding around, until Kurt dropped low to the ground, tripping him back inside of his cell. Avalanche went in peacefully, not looking for a fight, just wanting to be free of his cell. I would have gotten his power, except for his stupid uniform making the only exposed skin his face, and I wasn't about to reach up and grab him. Toad was an easy catch for Rogue, who grabbed his bare hands. She took on his form and groaned, "Aw man...remind me never to do this ever again, alright?" She sighed, pulling him towards his cell, and throwing him in, "This sucks..."She flicked her tongue out at me when I laughed.

We all had to work together on Blob again, who wasn't pleased about having to go back into his room. We eventually pushed him back inside, and slammed the door shut, him beating down on the door with heavy fists.

"What the hell did we do before you came here?" Logan asked, putting an arm around my shoulder.

"I don't know, since I do most of the work here..." I sighed, laying my head on my shoulder, "Well okay...maybe that makes me sound a little bigheaded..."

"But it's true." Logan leaned down to kiss me for a second, and then released me, "Better go back to entertaining your guest. He seemed a little freaked out when I saw him in the Rec room after the announcement."

"He was probably freaked out at the Institute suddenly looking empty, I better get back, before he stumbles into something he shouldn't." I kissed Logan again before teleporting back into the main hall.

"Whoa." Lance was just exiting the rec room, "How the heck did you do that?"

"A little trick I picked up...so, uh...sorry about that. We had a problem downstairs..a little water leak, but-."

"It look all of you to fix a water leak?"

"We have very big pipes."

"You are a such a horrible liar, Joanna. Never become an actor, alright? Your shirt is torn by the way." Lance motioned down to the my shirt, "And you might want to soak those jeans."

"Um, anyway...so..." I pursed my lips.

"I think I'm gonna go home...and think about all of this...stuff." He motioned around the hall, "I'll talk to you soon, I promise."

"Okay." I nodded, walking with him to the door, "I'll see you later, then."

"Bye Jo."

"Bye Lance."

After I changed, I joined Jubilee on the tennis court, Warren's racket in hand.

"So, how's Lance?" Jubilee asked, bouncing one of the tennis balls from the bag on the corner of the court.

"He's fine." I said, giving the racket a couple swishes, preparing for her serve, "Just...surprised, I guess."

"Is he going to take lessons with the Professor?"

"Well...Professor Xavier offered, but Lance said he'd have to think about it. His parent's can't know. He told him what happened to his brother."

"What happened to his brother?" Jubilee looked up, half way through her serve, and stopped.

"His parents disowned him, and he moved to California." I told her, "Are we going to play tennis, or what?"

"Oh right." She threw the ball up in the air, and connected the racket with the ball, sending it into the net, "Whoops," she picked up the ball when I used my telekinesis to roll it towards her, "lets try that again."

I won the game, by two points, and we headed inside for a late lunch before I went to relieve Jean from her post on the observation deck. She informed me that since the previous break, they hadn't done much of anything except sit and brood, and that they probably wouldn't be a problem for the rest of the afternoon.

Like she had hypothesized, the Brotherhood was quiet. I filled Kurt in on their lack of antics when he arrived later that evening.

"When is the Professor going to have them moved, anyway?" I asked, leaning in the doorway.

"I'm not sure." Kurt shrugged, "But hopefully soon. Warren is becoming irritable with those late nights he's been putting in."

"Alright, well, enjoy your shift. I'm going to go eat dinner." I gave Kurt a half wave and exited to make my way down to the kitchen where everyone else was just finishing dinner.

"Hey, I put a plate for you in the oven." Rogue said, standing to put her plate in the dishwasher.

"Thanks." I went to the oven to extract the plate before sitting down in the empty seat between Logan and Warren, "Nothing is more boring then watching those guys for three hours. I should take a crossword puzzle with me tomorrow." I stretched my legs out under the table, cracking my ankles, before linking my foot around Logan's outstretched leg.

"I can certainly thing of things I would rather do." Logan raised an eyebrow at me.

"Not at the dinner table, Logan." Professor Xavier warned, raising an eyebrow, "As for the remainder of the Brotherhood, I plan on releasing them tomorrow."

"Just releasing them?" I asked.

"We really can't hold them here, legally, Joanna...and my friends in the government don't have the correct methods of containing them...and we certainly can't keep up our hours here."

"Then why didn't we just let them go when they escaped earlier?"

"I believe you wish to obtain a certain power from a Mr. Lance Alvers, am I correct?"

"Who?" I asked.

"Avalanche."

I bit my lip, "Well, it isn't like I actually _need_ it...but it would be totally cool."

"You have my permission to obtain it any way you deem. Avalanche will not be released until then."

After dinner, I informed Kurt that I was going to enter Avalanche's cell with Rogue. He gave me a raised eyebrow, but shrugged, "Alright. Try not to let him go, okay?"

"Thanks Kurt." I smiled, and Rogue and I walked down to the lower levels.

"Rogue, you watch the door...I'm going to go have a little chat." I punched in the security code and stepped through the door before Rogue closed the door again.

Avalanche, or Lance Alvers as the Professor had referred to him, looked up from where he was sitting on the cot in the corner.

"Well, look here...Visitors... I haven't got many of those lately. Which one are you?"

"The one you were coming after."

"Right... And how can I help you?" He leaned back, crossing his arms.

"You could take off those gloves for a start."

"I think I'll keep them on, thanks."

"Look, Lance, was it? I think you better take one of your gloves off, because my Professor has given me permission to do as I please on my endeavor."

"What exactly is your endeavor?"

I crossed my arms, "Look, we can do this the easy, painless way, or we can do it the hard...very painful way."

"I'd like to see a tiny little thing like you try." He stood up his arms crossed, "C'mon...take your best shot."

I only had to look at him to send him back onto the bed, head over heels, "Are you going to do like I asked now?"

"What do you want?" He asked.

"Take off your glove." I requested again.

"Is this going to hurt?" He asked, pulling the glove off.

"It'll probably hurt me more then it hurts you." I told him, touching our palms together. The absorption was quick, and relatively painless except for rip through my hands.

"Was that all?" He asked, after I pulled away from him, pulling his glove back on.

"Yes, thank you."

"I don't suppose you know when the heck we're getting out of here, do you?" He asked, making polite conversation.

"Tomorrow."


	13. Chapter 13

1Chapter Thirteen

The next day, the Professor over saw the issuing of a sleeping draft to our hostages, then Jean and Storm flew them to an undisclosed location for unloading, before flying back. We finally got to fall back into our normal routines. We still had our missions of course, but as the school year drew closer, the bad guys seemed to show up less and less.

Logan and I, along with Rogue, went to New York for school shopping and to see my parents. I had called to tell them about the Magneto front and they had again tried to get to me come back home, but I insisted that I was fine in Bayville, and encouraged them to come and see me. My mother was out of the hospital after the attack made on her by Mystique, but was weary of traveling.

Our first stop was my Father's house where my Mother was staying while she recuperated. It was interesting to see them living under the same roof -not to say that they hadn't before. My father often stayed with my Mother and I when I was ill, or the time I had broken my leg when I was ten (before I had acquired my healing factor), but this was different. They seemed a little more open with one another, and they didn't argue the whole time we were there. My mother rushed down the steps to hug me, and then Logan, straying on him for an extra moment while he gave me a raised eyebrow.

"Darling! Who is this lovely girl?" My mother motioned to Rogue, who was hanging back on the steps.

"Oh, Mom, this is my friend Rogue."

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Rogue." My mother shook her gloved hand, "Tell me, do you go to Joey's little school do?"

I groaned. I hated it when my parents called me Joey.

"Uh, yeah. I'm her roommate."

"Oh, how lovely! Well, please! Come inside and meet Joey's father, Stephan. He's a writer, you know." I could tell that Rogue was visibly uncomfortable as my mother ushered her up the stairs, her hand on her back, motioning around with her other free hand.

"Um, Mom...you might not want to...uh...touch, Rogue..." Logan and I followed the two up the stairs, and into the foyer.

"Am I missing something, Darling?" She turned to look at me, and Rogue pulled her jacket a little more tightly around herself.

"Rogue doesn't like being touched, Mom." I said, hanging my jacket next to my Dad's, "Lets just keep it at that."

"Ah, your friends, Darling... I'll never understand them. Well come, come...follow me. Stephan is just in the study working on another little Sci-fi novel..."

"C'mon Rogue, I'll introduce you to my dad..." I lead her through the hall towards my father's study, "Mom, why don't you get up some drinks...Logan, you can help?"

"I'd really rather –." My mother dragged him towards the kitchen, talking his ear off before he could say no.

"Dad?" I knocked on the door before opening it. He looked up from his computer screen.

"Oh, hi Joey."

"Oh jeez...stop calling me that!" I covered my face with my hands, "It's embarrassing"

"Ah, I see you brought a new friend." He stood up, coming around the desk.

"Dad, this Rogue. Rogue, My Dad."

"Call me Stephan."

"Nice to meet you." Rogue shook his hand, and then shoved her hands into her pockets.

"Shy one, isn't she?" Dad asked me, eyebrow raised.

I shrugged, and he gave me a hug.

"Why don't we got sit in the kitchen... You still dating that Logan fellow?"

"If Mom hasn't molested him, yes." The three of us headed towards the kitchen, where my Mother was pouring drinks, and flirting with Logan.

"What'll you have?" My mother asked Rogue and I.

"Just a soda, will be fine. Rogue?" I turned to her.

"The same." She shrugged.

"And you Logan? What would you like?" She turned her misty eyes onto him, batting her eyelashes.

Logan raised an eyebrow, "I'm driving, so I think I'll go with a soda."

"Well, Joanna has her license, if you'd really like something else."

"She doesn't know how to drive a stick." Logan lied.

I sat at the table, and put my head in my hands, "This is why I don't visit." I told my Dad and Rogue, "Mom flirts with Logan the whole time."

"I do not!" My Mother turned to us, "It's just...friendly banter."

"It's flirting." I informed her.

"Oh poo." She waved me off, bring us our drinks.

"I really hope you don't mind me stopping off at the bar while you and Rogue shop." Logan leaned down by my ear, "Because I am going to need a couple of stiff drinks once this is over."

"It's alright." I tapped his leg with my knuckle, "You do whatever it is you need to do."

"Thanks."

After a tortured visit with my parents, the three of us were more then happy to be on our way, me a hundred dollars richer with fifty bucks in my pocket from each parent.

"Oh, Daddy...do you mind if Rogue and I charge some stuff on the VISA?" I asked sweetly, before we left, Rogue and Logan making their way quickly down to his jeep.

"Of course not honey. That's what it's for...just nothing to extravagant, okay? I am only a writer."

"Of course not." I hugged him, and then gave him a quick peck on the cheek, "I'll call you."

"Bye, honey."

Once in the jeep, I heaved a large sigh, "I am so sorry to you both -Logan, for my mother hitting on you, Rogue, for my Mother...being my mother... My father for being...my father."

"It's alright." She smiled, pulling her seatbelt on, "They're sweet people, really."

"Logan, I promise, I will never, ever leave you with my mother alone again... She didn't like...feel you up again did she?"

"No, I managed to keep a safe distance away." He confirmed, pulling from the curb.

"Oh, hey...good news. My Dad said we could use the VISA to charge stuff." I grinned maliciously at Rogue.

"I feel kind of weird charging stuff on your Dad's card, Jo. Or should I say...Joey?"

"Oh god...Don't even go there...that's horrible. Ugh. I hate that name. It's so embarrassing."

Rogue laughed at me, "It's not as bad as what my parents called me, so don't fret."

I decided to let it go, not wanting to make Rogue pour her heart out to me in front of Logan as he pulled into the closet parking spot he could find.

"Well, you two go enjoy your shopping...I am going to go get a very stiff drink..."

"You want to meet us somewhere before lunch? Or will you be drinking your lunch?" I raised an eyebrow as Rogue jumped out of the jeep, swinging her purse over her shoulder.

"I'll probably be drinking something...you want to meet at TGIF around one?"

"Sure." I gave him a quick kiss before following Rogue towards the entrance.

"You aren't drunk, are you?" I asked, sliding into the table where Logan sat, already nursing a beer.

"No. This is only my second."

"While in here, or today?"

"Today," he smiled, and leaned back in his chair, "So, what did you buy?"

"Just some jeans so far."

"You've been shopping for over an hour now, and you've only bought jeans?"

I shrugged, "I've really been helping Rogue shop."

"Not that I need help shopping..." Rogue perked up.

"Of course not." I shook my head.

After lunch, Rogue and I wandered back into the mall with Logan trailing behind us. Rogue was nearly finished with her shopping, and I was just starting mine. By the time we finished with the clothes, it was almost three o'clock and we decided to call it quits. I sat in the back of the jeep with Rogue, our bags secured under the seat, and in the back behind us while Logan drove.

Over the next week or so, Rogue and I finished our school shopping, including all of our supplies. School was still only a short week away when Logan woke me up earlier when I would have liked.

"You like surprises, don't you?" He asked, when I had opened my eyes at him blearily.

"...What did you do?"

"I didn't do anything..."

"Then what is this little surprise?" I asked, rolling over on my side.

"Your parents are here."

"What!" I sat up, "Why are my parents here?"

"The Professor invited them up before the school year started."

"What? Why?"

"So that they could see the school, and get to know the area." Logan sat down on the edge of the bed, "They're downstairs right now. Jean is giving them a tour."

"Oh crap." I sighed, "I just saw them!"

"I know, Kid." Logan kissed me on the cheek, "You better get dressed, they're waiting."

I joined my parents down in the foyer as Jean was wrapping up her tour.

"So, that's the building it's self -and here is Joanna...maybe she'd care to show you around the grounds?"

"Mom...Dad." I hugged them both in turn, "What are you doing here?"

"Well, your Professor called us the other day and suggested we come see the Campus...so we took him up on the offer." Dad said, putting his arm over my shoulder, "So, how about showing your Mom and me around the grounds?"

I gave my parents the tour of the grounds, and then the Professor invited us into his office.

"As you can see, Joanna is getting an excellent education through not only the Xavier Institute, but also Bayville High school. Are there any questions that I can answer for you while you're here?"

"How is this all being paid for?" Dad asked, "I mean, I haven't gotten any bills for tuition, so I know it's not coming out of my pocket."

"The funds for students tuition and all of our training equipment is donated through private investors, as well as Government grants, and of course a lot of my own estate goes into the school."

My parents asked their questions while I stared out of the large bay widow in the Professors office, watching the students that had returned for the new school year getting reacquainted, and use their powers openly.

"Joanna, perhaps you would like to show your parents to the Danger Room control booth. I believe you have a lesson with Mr. McCoy."

"Sure. Follow me." I turned away from the window.

"I think you'll be pleased with the progress that Joanna has made while at the Institute, and please...don't be alarmed at our training process."

"What does that mean?" My mother asked, as I lead my parents to our lower levels, into the Danger Room control booth where Hank McCoy, blue fur and all, was setting up for my lesson against Gambit, Rogue, Kurt, and Logan.

"Mom, Dad, this is Mr. McCoy." I introduced them to Hank, "He's a scientist, usually."

"I'm just taking over for Logan while he joins in on a training session." Hank shook both of my parents hands, "Don't let the fur alarm you, it's something you get used to."

"I think after what I've seen today, nothing would alarm me." My Mother shook her head, and then Kurt walked in, sans image inducer.

"Hey, what's up." He waved.

"Hey Kurt, these are my parents." I introduced him.

My mother leaned over to whisper in my ear, "Dear, he has a tail..."

I sighed, "Why don't you and Dad sit over here, and watch?" I lead them to a couple of chairs on the Observation side of the room, in front of the glass panel, "Uh...I better get down there."

"Alright darling, and after this why don't you show us around the town, hm?"

"Sure Mom." I nodded, "Sounds like fun."

I dissented the stairs with Kurt and entered the Danger Room it's self in my uniform.

"Your parents still here?" Logan asked.

"Yes." I sighed, levitating above the floor as it moved and shifted around, "Mom wants to go see Bayville after this."

"Then I'll try not to hurt you to bad."

"I know you won't."

"Alright, lets run Logan Lesson two-oh-three, alright?"

I groaned, "Isn't that the one with the Indiana Jones quality?"

"Yep." Logan nodded, "I like that lesson."

"Yea, until you get flattened." I sighed.

"Alright people, lets get started...is everyone here and accounted for?"

"Remy is here! Sorry I am late... Remy was having a problem with a Miss Jubilation."

"What did you do to Jubilee?" I asked, crossing my arms.

"She seems to think that I cracked her tennis racket on purpose...of course, that is totally untrue, mon chere."

"Don't talk french to me." I shook my head, "We'll take care of it later."

"Starting now, if you don't mind." Hank said as the lighting changed the control booth disappeared. Kurt and I teleported on top of a tower as the laser guns emerged from the walls, and the rolling ball was released, as well as the robotic enemies we were to defeat. Lesson 203 was about team work, and to be aware of everything going on around you. First things first, take out of the guns that were currently showering down on Logan and Rogue.

A quick hand movement crumpled them.

"Don't you miss the lessons on the flat space, with the rotating guns? I kind of wish we hadn't gotten that extra grant money." Kurt sighed, bamfing down onto the floor onto the back of one of the robots, pulling it backwards. The robots were made of plastic, and therefore I couldn't just take them all out. They actually required work.

Gambit was flipping out cards, which took out his robot, while Logan was slicing through his third.

"Are you going to leave any for the rest of us?" I asked, stopping Logan.

"I hate it when you do that." He was pinned, effortlessly on my part, "And we're supposed to be working together, not against one another..."

I smiled, letting him drop back down, and put my hand through the robot, pulling its cords loose, watching it crumple to the ground, "We should probably make sure a couple of them can be repaired, at least."

"Stop chit-chatting." Hank warned from the booth.

Then the large rolling rock started it's journey from the top of the room, picking up speed as it rolled.

"Shit." I sighed, "This is gonna take a while. Rogue!"

"Yea?" She turned, where she was tripping the last robot over.

"Come here, quick. It's almost to the bottom."

"Sure." She took off her glove. With one hand, I stopped the rock, with the other, I touched my hand against Rogue's, "Okay, hold it."

"I've never felt so useless in my entire life." Logan commented.

Rogue let the ball continue to roll, more slowly then before, "I can't hold it the way you did."

"That's fine, just keep it slow." I told her, "Gambit, you might need a fresh deck."

I shuffled through my powers, settling on the plasma blast. The rock became smaller and smaller, before Rogue's power wore out, and it continued to tumble towards us.

"Finally...something to do." Logan stepped in front of it, claws drawn.

"Logan, you are such a show off." The bolder was now small enough that he was able to rip it apart, showering the rest of us with little pieces of rock.

"Next time, can we run a lesson where _I_ have more to do?" Kurt requested, as the lights changed, and the floor shifted back to it's flat, open state.

"We could run Lesson Two-Fourteen..." Hank suggested.

"Oh, no...thank you, but I think I'm good."

"Well, I have to go show my parents around...Crap, Remy!" I cursed.

"What did I do?" Remy asked, confused.

"C'mon, lets go find Jubilee." I sighed, "Well get my parents, and then go find Jubilee."

After collecting my parents, and requesting that they wait for me in the car, I found Jubilee on the front porch, holding a broken racket.

"What do _you_ want?" She glared at Remy.

"See what I deal with?" Remy asked me, "I did not break your racket, okay? It was an accident...and besides, isn't it time for you to change sports anyway?"

Jubilee glared at him, and I pushed him towards the railing.

"Look, why don't you borrow Warren's racket for the afternoon, and then later tonight after my parents leave, I'll borrow the jeep and we'll go buy you a new racket."

"But I liked _this_ racket." Jubilee insisted.

"I'm sorry, but I don't have a power to repair things... I can break a lot of things, but I can't repair them..."

"He should be punished." Jubilee insisted, crossing her arms.

"Okay...Remy, not only are you running an extra lesson with me tomorrow, you have to find a racket and play tennis with Jubilee this afternoon while I'm gone... okay?"

"Why should I listen to you?" Remy asked.

"Because everyone listens to me..." I told him, "I'm a leader...deal with it. I have to go." I teleported into the garage where my parents were waiting my by Dad's SUV.

"Sorry about that..." I got into the backseat, "So...was there anywhere in particular you'd like to go?"

After my parents left, I borrowed Logan's jeep and Jubilee and I headed into Bayville to the local Sports Equipment store.

"So, how was the visit with the 'rents?" Jubilee asked, doing a couple of practice swings with a 'high performance' racket.

"It was fine. Parents are parents, I guess."

"I wish my foster parents would come see me...but I guess I'd just be kidding myself there. They just thought it was cool to have an Asian foster child...help out the needy and all of that." She replaced the racket, and picked up another, "So, what do your parents do anyway?"

"My dad is a freelance writer, and novelist, and my Mom is part-owner of a used bookstore." I picked up a light weight racket, and gave it a couple of swings.

"That's cool."

"Yea, it's my favorite place in the world. I love the smell of old books... The best thing my Mom ever did was open that store. When I was little, right after it opened, I would sit behind the counter and read all of the old books, even if I didn't understand them. Once in awhile, Mom would even let me play cashier, and take the people's money and make out receipts." I put the racket down, deeming it to heavy, "Then when I got older, my mom gave me a volunteer job, and showed me how to catalog, and price books. When I turned 13, she married my ex-Stepfather, Daniel...it kind of went down hill from there."

"What happened?" Jubilee asked, not interested in the rackets anymore.

"I told Mom what a slime ball he was, and went to live with my Dad for awhile. They got into this huge custody battle and the court basically ordered me to go back to my Mom's since my Dad was on a fixed income, due to his freelance stuff. When I was 16, my mom and her best friend from high school, Gale, gave me a part-time job at the store, and I spent almost every waking hour I wasn't in school there, just because Daniel was never there. He refused to step foot in the place...said the smell made him sick." I rolled my eyes, "I realize now he was just an idiot, and didn't like that I was smarter then he was."

"So...what happened? How did you end up here?"

I sighed, "I started showing signs of my powers... I met this kid named Riley, she was on the Debate team with me. She has a telekinesis power, and one night at the dinner table, I moved the salt shaker. Daniel freaked, and my Mom backed him up. He talked her into his little plan... drug me, and push me out of the car on the highway for dead." I shrugged, "I never got to say good bye to my Dad, or even try to explain myself... they just...did it.

"So anyway, I woke up when Jean, Ororro, and Scott showed up to save me, and got me on the jet, and then I just remember waking up at the Institute." I picked up a light-weight, high performance racket, "I think I like this one."

Jubilee dropped her mouth open, "You've got a past like that and you're worried about a tennis racket?"

"Look, it's behind me now." I shrugged. "And besides, I've forgiven my Mom. She's a twit, but she's still my Mom...and if it wasn't for her and Daniel doing what they had done, what would I be doing now? I'd be sitting in a dusty old bookshop, waiting for the apocalypse." I smiled at her, "Got one you like?"


	14. Chapter 14

1Chapter Fourteen

"Hey Honey. Thanks for letting me borrow the jeep." I leaned over the back of the couch to kiss Logan on the cheek, and drop the keys to the jeep into his hand, "I even put gas in it for you."

"Thanks Jo." He moved slightly and patted the space next to him, "Come sit by me for a second."

"What are you watching?" I asked, coming around the couch and sitting beside him, linking my arm through his and leaning against him.

"The news. The government is shutting down the Sentential system..." Logan was watching the news intently, "Finally."

I personally had never come into contact with the Sentential's but from what Logan and the other older members of the X-Men could tell me about them, they weren't good for anyone. Jubilee had actually been targeted by a group once while Storm and Jean were shopping at the mall, which is where they had found her and then brought her to the institute.

"I can't believe school starts in a week." I sighed, wincing.

"Where the hell did summer go, huh?"

"I think I know exactly where summer went..." I raised an eyebrow at him, and kissed him, "I think you do too."

"Hey, we didn't spend that much time in bed." He defended.

I smirked, "I gotta go, I have to finish a book yet. I'll see you later."

"Bye." He went back to watching the news and I kissed his cheek before getting up off of the couch.

The first day of school finally arrived... A little earlier then I had originally hoped. Logan's alarm went off before mine, and I reached back to stop him, after he had shut it off, from getting out of bed.

"Ten more minutes." I snuggled up against him, my eyes closed.

He sighed, running his fingers through my hair, "I wish I could, but I can't."

"Why?" I asked.

"Because I've got a danger room mission this morning before school starts, remember?"

I groaned.

"That's what I thought." He kissed my cheek, and then started to move again.

"Five minutes?" I asked, opening an eye.

"Sorry, but no." He shrugged.

I groaned, and let him get out of bed, rolling over until my own alarm clock went off.

"Do you want to borrow the jeep today?" Logan offered, coming out of the bathroom, rubbing his hair dry with a white towel, another around his waist as I was getting out of bed to take my own shower.

"I was thinking I would just get a ride with Warren."

Logan made a slightly distasteful face as he turned towards his dresser.

"Look," I said, getting up out of the bed, my long t-shirt falling down over my knees and moved over to put my arm around his waist as he pulled a t-shirt over his head, "I know you don't like Warren, but it's a lot more efficient for me to ride with him and Rogue, and Jubilee, and everyone else now that Scott graduated, then it would be for me to take the jeep."

"Why don't you split the ride like when Scott was still driving?" He asked, "I just don't trust Warren's driving."

"You didn't have a problem with it last year..." I pointed out.

"I just didn't voice it last year." He pointed out, pulling off the towel, to pull on a pair of boxer shorts and his jeans.

"If it will make you feel better, I'll drive the jeep." I kissed his cheek, "Now I have to go get ready."

"The keys are on the night table." He kissed me before letting me go.

"So Logan is lending you the jeep?" Rogue asked, tossing her brand new backpack into the back of the jeep before getting in, along with Remy, Jubilee (who sat in the front seat next to me), and Bobby.

"Yes." I sighed, "He's being...Logan." I slid in behind the drivers seat, and pulled on my seatbelt, "I don't have the heart to tell him yet that my parents are coming down next weekend to go car shopping."

"You haven't told him that yet?"

"No...I figure the less time he has to know that my Mom is coming for another visit the better... I'll tell him next Monday."

The others clipped their seatbelts.

"So this high school...what is it like?" Remy asked, putting an arm over the back of the seat, his fingers resting slightly against Rogue's covered shoulder, causing her to inch away. He was so obviously flirting with her, and she tried to ignore it. It was heart wrenching.

"It's a high school." I looked at him in the rear view mirror, stopping to let Warren leave the garage ahead of me with Kurt, Kitty, and a few others that had previously hitched rides with Scott, "You've got us, you've got them, and you've got the faculty."

"Fabulous...truly." Remy put his arm down again, picking up on Rogue's vibe that she wasn't interested.

"Don't worry Remy, I'll show you around. You'll be fine."

"Remy no nervous, Jo."

"You're doing it again." I raised my eyebrow at him.

"Sorry." He looked bashful.

We talked lightly on the drive to the high school, before I pulled into a back parking lot, and locked up the jeep, pocketing the keys. Jubilee went off to find some of her friends while Rogue and I entered the cafeteria to wait for the opening bell to call First-Day Assembly. Remy followed us, and we sat down with the others who had rode with Warren as well as Lance and Saundra, who was wearing a painfully short dress with Chuck Taylor high top shoes, her hair up in a messy-but-good-looking pony-tail. I loathed it.

"Hey, I haven't heard from you in awhile." I bumped my knee into Lance and sat down beside him, "What's up? You still pissed at me?"

"I wasn't pissed at you." He said, "And I had to go down to my Grandparents in Jersey again... Pappy was having heart problems."

"I'm sorry, is he okay?" I asked.

"He'll be fine." Lance pulled my feet up into his lap, "Are these new shoes?"

"Yea, you like 'em? I bought 'em on a trip to New York to see my parents over the summer." I displayed them proudly.

"They're cute." He held my ankles, and Remy raised his eyebrow at us.

"Oh, Remy! I'm sorry, this is Lance Hang. He was my Chem-Lab partner last year. Lance, this is Remy. He's new at the Institute. I don't think you met him."

"Hi." Lance nodded at him.

"Does Logan know he flirts with you?" Remy asked.

"As long as it's not me doing the flirting, Logan is fine." Warren sounded bitter.

I sighed, "C'mon boys...stop fighting."

"I wasn't fighting." Lance said.

"You're to cute." I smiled, pulling my feet out of his lap.

"Remy told me that, that Lance kid was flirting with you this morning." Logan sat on the edge of my desk while I pulled book covers around some of my textbooks.

"Everyone flirts in a high school, sweetie. It's what teenagers do." I reassuringly patted him on the knee, "And besides, Lance doesn't compare to you at all... in any department." I pulled him down by them hem of his t-shirt to kiss him, "Oh, the keys for the jeep are still in the ignition."

"Alright. You takin' it tomorrow too?"

"If you want me to, I will." I told him, "It was kind of nice."

"I'll get you a duplicate key sometime this week."

I bit my lip, "Um...Logan... my parents are coming down next weekend."

He made another disgusted face, "Your mother?"

"Yea..."

"Why?" He asked.

"They're buying me a car."

"Okay." He nodded, "Then you don't want a key to the jeep?"

"That's not what I'm saying, I just...I thought you should know."

"I'll hide." He growled, "I better go...I got a late-night lesson with Boom-Boom and Faerie."

I wanted to reprimand him, but I didn't and instead let him go.

Rogue entered soon after Logan had left, dumping her own load of text books on her bed, "Hey. How did your day go?"

"It was fine." I shrugged, "Remy told Logan that Lance was flirting with me."

"Did you see who was there? He was sittin' off to the side with some British chickadee-foreign exchange, I think, during the assembly."

"Who?" I asked.

"Lance Alvers... Avalanche."

"What?" I turned around quickly, "I never saw him there!"

"I swear it. He was in my English class."

"Oh my god... what is he doing in Bayville? We dumped them in the middle of no where!"

"I don't know! He must have found his way back. I thought you knew!" Rogue looked flustered that I had actually yelled.

"The Professor should know." I told her, "What if he came back for a reason?"

"Like what? To abduct you?" Rogue asked, "Calm down and let this ride out."

"Dad! Mom..." I hugged each of my parents in turn, "You're early! I didn't expect you until later this afternoon."

"Well, car shopping done best in the morning, sweetie... What do you say we get going? Where's that handsome son-in-law of mine?" Mom asked, looking over my shoulder.

"We're not married Mom." I sighed, "And Logan had some business to take care of up north, so he's away for the weekend." I shrugged, and went to join my father, "Hey Dad..."

"What's the matter Joey?"

I pulled him aside, out of hearing range of my mother, "Dad, why don't we drop Mom off on the Strip and we go look for cars together? I mean, it's not really Mom's thing, and I know she's looking for a reason to shop..."

Dad looked over at her, "Is something the matter, Joey?"

I sighed, "She embarrasses me, Dad. Logan isn't here today because I told him she was coming. She's always...everywhere."

"I know honey, but that's just who your mother is..." We walked slowly back to where my mother was appreciatively watching Scott Summer's and Jean Grey do target practice in the yard with clay plates.

I got into the back of my Dad's SUV along with my mother.

"Hey, Honey..." Dad said, patting my mother on the knee, "Why don't I drop you off on the Strip, and Joey and I will go look at cars?"

"Why, Stephan...are you trying to get rid of me?" She asked.

"Of course not, Christy! I just thought you might enjoy strolling isles in a store rather then in a car lot."

"Hrm... If that's what you want, Stephan, that's perfectly fine with me." She shrugged, "Why would I want to sit around a stuffy car lot anyway." She fluttered her eyelashes.

Now she was making my Dad feel bad, I had to step in.

"Look, Mom, it was my idea." I leaned forward, "Don't take it out on Dad."

"If you don't want me to go with you, Joey, all you had to do was say so. I would love to do a little shopping. I love this little town of yours. It's gorgeous."

"Thanks Mom." I nodded, and sat back in the seat while my Dad turned to drop my Mother off in the mall parking lot.

"We'll be back in awhile, Darling." Then my Father did something I hadn't seen him do to my mother since I was six years old. He kissed her... on the cheek, but he kissed her.

After my mother was seen safely out of the car, I moved into the front seat.

"Is there something going on, Dad?" I raised my eyebrow at him.

"What are you talking about?" He asked.

"You just kissed Mom... You haven't done that in what? Twelve years?"

"Your mother and I are...reconciling, I suppose. We're together more often, and you're graduating this year. You aren't living at home anymore... We've only had dinner a few times, and of course she's staying at the house... I've missed her."

"Why didn't you tell me?" I asked, as we parked in an empty space in the car lot.

"I don't know, Joanna... It's just not something you normally discuss with your daughter..."

"Are you two going to get married?" I asked.

"Jeez, Joey! I don't know! Can't we just let this go on it's own course? You don't badger me about your Mom, and I won't badger you about your boyfriend, okay?"

"Deal." I nodded, linking arms with him, and moving into the car lot.

I found the car I wanted, test drove it, and within a very short matter of time, I was driving my new blue Mazda off of the lot and parking it in my new parking space the Professor had reserved for me next to Logan's orange jeep. My parents were taking over the payments and insurance, which was a relief off of my shoulders, but I still thought that my new car should merit some responsibility.

That is the reason I soon found myself working at Bayville's teen hot-spot the Burger Barn. I was put on Drive-Thru service, which wasn't hard, but it got boring easy, and I was constantly moving...all in all, it sucked. The only thing that brightened the job was when my friends would come through, or Logan (who I would sneak quick kisses with through the window), and order, then chat with me if were weren't busy.

"Mm...you smell like fries." Logan nuzzled my neck before pressing a kiss to my throat when I joined him in the living room one evening after work.

"I know, it's disgusting."

"I kind of like it." He grinned, "But it makes me hungry." He shrugged, "So, what's going on? I haven't gotten to talk to you since you started this job."

I shrugged, "The homecoming game is on Friday night, you want to go with me?"

"You don't have to work?" He raised an eyebrow, "You'd think that would be a busy night."

"The contrary...it's the slowest night. Everyone's at the game, and by the time the game is over, we're closed." She shrugged, "So, do you want to go?"

"Sure." He shrugged.

"There's a dance on Saturday, but I don't think you'd want to go to that, huh?"

"I don't even remember high school, but I'm pretty sure it's something I don't want to be repeating, hon."

"That's what I thought." She kissed him, and then moved to make her way upstairs.

"You're still gonna go though, aren't you?" He asked, following her with his eyes.

"Lance asked me to go with him...if that's okay with you."

"I'd rather if you went with Kurt or Warren." He said.

"It's okay, Logan, really. Lance is totally harmless."

He grunted, and turned back towards the television, "What time is the game?"

"It starts at six." I leaned over the back of the couch and kissed him.

_No POV_

"So, this is a high school football game, huh?" Logan had his hands shoved into his pockets. He and Joanna, along with the others from the institute, sat in the middle of the stands.

"Oh, stop being such a grump, Logan." She leaned her head against his shoulders.

"How can I not be a grump? It's a Friday night, it's cold, it's going to rain soon, and I know that tomorrow night I have to hand you off to some hick little boy as if I were your father."

She grinned, and kissed him, "You're nothing like my father...trust me. If you were, you wouldn't have been invited."

"Thanks for that vote of confidence, Jo." He wrapped his arm around her waist, and pulled her closer.

While they watched the game, Joanna got the sudden feeling that she was being watched.

"Logan." She leaned to whisper in his ear, "Is there someone looking at us?"

"Honey, everyone's lookin' at us." He drawled.

"No, I mean..._at_ us..."

"So do I, Jo. What's the matter?"

"I just...I feel like someone is staring at me, but I don't want to look."

Logan looked intent for a moment, sniffing the air, and he turned as though he were going to talk to Rogue, and he recognized the face whose gaze slid back towards the field as he looked at him.

"It's that kid that was with Mag- Eric."

"Shit. I was hoping Rogue had just imagined he was in Bayville... I haven't seen him around school at all..." Joanna slid a look over Logan's shoulder at him, "His name is Lance Alvers."

"Well, what the hell is he doing here, Jo?"

"How the heck am I supposed to know? I can't read minds!"

"What are you talking about, you can do anything you want to."

"But I don't know how...the Professor may have said I could do anything I wanted, but... we haven't even discussed the prospect of my...doing that."

"Just try." Logan coaxed, "Do you want me to get Jean?"

"No...I just...give me a minute." Joanna closed her eyes, leaning her forehead against Logan's shoulder. She could feel all of the people around her, their excitement, their fears. It was like she was a part of everyone, She put a determined facade over them, and focused on Lance, in the far back corner of the bleachers. His voice was suddenly crystal clear, and everyone else's was just a low hum behind it.

**_God, I hope she didn't see me. What the hell am I doing here? I can't expect her to actually help me. What if that Professor of hers isn't the kind of guy I thought he was? What if none of them can help me. Fuck. What am I doing? I should just go, and find Mystique... God, where the hell did-_**

Joanna opened her eyes, blinking a few times.

"Well?" Logan asked, "Did you do it?"

"He want's help... He wasn't giving me a whole heck of a lot to work with." I shook my head, "Maybe we should go?"

"No, we can't let him know that we're here, or that we know he's here." Logan shook his head.

"Look...maybe I can...set up a link...like the Professor...so we don't actually have to get close to him?"

"Maybe you should try that from the safety of the Institute, okay? Or let the Professor do the talking?"

There was a loud sound of disagreement and disappointment, and gasps from the crowd. Logan and Joanna looked down at the field. From the bottom of a pile of players, one body wasn't moving anymore.

"Please remain calm, as the paramedics take a look at number forty-two, from Bayville High. Hang's condition may be critical. Do not leave the stands, please. Would Judith and William Hang please report to the paramedic station on the north side of the field."

"What happened?" I turned to Rogue.

"The point of coming to a football game to watch, sugar." She crossed her arms, "Lance dove between one of the other guy's legs, and he tripped down on top of him, there was a big pile up tackle, right on top of him."

"Logan, I've got to go see if he's all right." I turned to him.

"They said to stay in the stands, Jo."

"When do I listen to people?"

"Be careful, and come right back, okay?"

The call for the Hang's was again announced over the loudspeaker, and Joanna rushed down the bleachers towards the Paramedic station, where Lance was starting to come to.

"Jo?" He blinked up at her, "What happened?"

"I don't know, Lance." She took his hand, careful to stay out of the paramedic's way as they checked him out, "Where are your parents?"

"They didn't come to night...will you call them for me? Please?"

"Of course, Lance." She nodded, "I'll use Kitty's phone."

"I probably won't be able to take you to the dance tomorrow..."

"Don't be silly, Lance. You'll be fine." I kissed his forehead, "I'll go call your parents. Do you want me to come to the hospital?"

"No, no... I'll...I'll call you."

"Excuse us miss, but we've got to load him up now." The paramedic gently pushed her away.

She stepped back from the Gurney, and watched the two paramedics load Lance into the back of the ambulance.

"Last call for the Hangs...please report to the Paramedics Station..."

"Hey." Lance was sitting up in bed, "You didn't have to come down here." He was in a single room, his leg propped up in a sling, and his arm bandaged, as well as his rib cage.

"I just wanted to see how you were doing." Joanna set the bouquet of flowers on the edge of the window sill, "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine...I just have a concussion, a cracked bone in both my leg and my arm, and a couple of bruised ribs."

"So, when do you get out?"

"This afternoon."

"I suppose you won't be up to going to the dance, huh?"

"I don't think so, Jo." He shook his head, "Even if I wanted to, I don't think your boyfriend is too keen on me anyway."

Joanna sighed, sitting on the edge of the bed, "Logan is just... protective...although I could kick his ass any day of the week."

"I believe it." Lance smiled.

"So...what am I supposed to do for a date now, huh?"

"You could take Kurt...or Warren...or how about that Remy kid? He seems interesting."

"He's going with Rogue." I shrugged, "Warren is going stag and Kurt is going with Kitty."

"You could always talk Logan into going..."

"I don't think they'd let him in." I shrugged, "That's what I get for dating a guy twice my age."

"Scary."

"Yea, I know...but whatever."

"So... What's going on?" Lance asked.

"Nothing really. Just...Institute stuff... avoiding my Mother...keeping up with Logan, work, and school." I shrugged.

"Sounds like fun." He nodded.

"Lance...This probably isn't the place or the time...but... have you told your parents?"

"Told my parents what?" Lance asked.

"About...the institute...and...you know..."

Lance shrugged, "What they don't know won't hurt them, right?"

"Lance...you're special. Your parents should know."

"And look where telling your parents got you? And everyone else in that place. Dumped off like last weeks garbage."

"It's not like that, Lance." I shook my head, "What happened to me, and some of the others...it wasn't our parents faults. Some of us still have parents who love us regardless of our abilities. I do. I didn't know that I did, but I do. So does Kitty, and Jean. Scott's parents are dead, but he has a brother. We all have family some where, even if it is just our family at the Institute... That's what we are."

"And what about me, huh? If I tell my parents, they'll just do the same thing to me as they did with my brother."

I was quiet, "It doesn't have to be like that. You could stay at the institute."

"And do what, Jo? Never see my parents again? Learn how to use my so-called powers? Thanks, but no. I just want to have a fun, normal senior year and forget about my stupid powers."

"Fine." Joanna stood up, shrugging, "I better get going. I have a class later. I hope you feel better."

Lance sighed, watching her stride from the room, looking determined. He felt bad, but not bad enough to call her back.

Joanna was surprised to find a visitor waiting for her on the front porch of the Institute when she returned from the hospital visit, swinging leisurely on the porch swing and reading a magazine.

"What are you doing here?" She asked coldly.

Lance Alvers looked up from the scandalous magazine, "Well, that's not a very nice way to greet a friend, Joanna."

"You're not my friend, you're just some creep I absorbed a power from."

"Look, I need some help, alright? After you guys dumped us, we all separated and I came back here. I just... I need a place to stay, alright?"

"What makes you think I can help you?" I asked.

"You just seem like the kind of girl that can help a guy out once in awhile." He shrugged.

"I'm sorry, I can't help you. I don't make those kinds of decisions."

"Jo... What's going on?" Warren exited the school, stopping when he saw Lance sitting on the porch swing, "What the hell is he doing here?" He asked.


	15. Chapter 15

1Chapter Fifteen

"I don't know, Warren." Joanna sighed, "I just got back from seeing Lance at the hospital, and he was sitting here."

"You can't be here." Warren told Avalanche.

"The hell I can't. I came here looking for some help! I think you guys should at least give me half of a chance!" He stood up, putting his hands on his hips.

"Help for what?" Warren asked.

"I need a place to stay, alright?" He repeated, "You can even stick me back in a containment cell if you want, and place me under twenty four hour surveillance."

Warren looked at Joanna, and raised his eyebrows, "I suppose we could get the Professor..."

She closed her eyes and held the bridge of her nose, "Go get him. Meet us in the Study." She sighed, and took Alvers by the arm, "C'mon Earthquake."

"Hey, I kind of like that...it's catchy..."

_Joanna's POV_

"What do you mean that kid is staying in the school?" Logan asked, leaning against the head board of his bed, my head against his side, fingers straying against his bare chest, "Didn't he try to you kill you?"

"I don't think that Avalanche is really like that, Logan. He's just...lost. He needs some guidance." I looked up at him, "We've got to at least give him a chance, right?"

Logan grunted.

"C'mon...don't be like that." I sighed.

"Sorry, but I don't trust very many people, much less people who've tried to kill my girl."

I smiled, and snuggled closer to him. I loved it when he acknowledged the fact that I was his girlfriend, "C'mon Logan...go to sleep... Tomorrow is Sunday, which means that we have the entire castle almost all to ourselves while our religious counterparts are off at mass."

Logan gave me a malicious sort of grin, "You know...we could probably stand to be a little more...spiritual."

This time I groaned, and slid under the blankets, my forehead against his bare hip, "But this is so much more fun."

"Oh well...we'll both end up going to hell eventually anyway..." Logan shrugged, and joined me under the covers.

"Jo...Joanna." Logan nudged me awake.

"Hmm..." I acknowledged him weakly, listening but not willing to open my eyes.

"You gotta get up." Logan nudged me, pressing kisses against my neck. I groaned, moving closer to him.

"No...keep doing that." I told him.

"Sorry... I want to too, but the Professor wants you to talk to that Alvers kid."

I sighed, "Earthquake can go shove his problems up his ass...I'm staying right here." I moved up closer to him, and kissed his jaw.

"You can't. I'm kicking you out." He pulled away.

I moaned, a high pitched cat like noise of distaste.

"Then get up, Jo." He coaxed.

I sighed, "Give me five more minutes." I opened up one eye at him.

He gave me a slow, sly grin, and shook his head, "I would, but I can't. It's already late morning."

I sighed, and stretched, "Alright...alright, fine." I gave him a last kiss, and reached over the side of the bed where some of our clothes had ended up the night before.

It wasn't long before I was sitting in a conference room with Professor Xavier on one end of the table, I on his left, and Lance Alvers on his right.

"Now, I would like the two of you view this as a lesson... Avalanche, you are going to be a ...guinea pig of sorts. Sundry, I believe you know what you're going to be doing."

I nodded, and raised my hand to Avalanche's forehead, my fingers on lightly touching his forehead. My eyes closed, and I could feel out certain parts of Avalanche's memory, things he had probably locked away, never to even think about ever again. Within minutes, I had seen every morbid detail of the boys life. I put my hand back down and shook my head."You are some piece of work." I told him.

"What is that supposed to mean?" he asked.

I shook my head, and turned to the Professor, "Did you get all of that?" During the transfer from Avalanche to myself, I had also been filtering highlights to Professor Xavier.

He nodded, and leaned on the arms of his chair, his fingers pressed against his chin, thinking over his options. Avalanche looked confused, looking between the two of us.

"What just happened?" He asked.

"I read your memory." I told him.

He looked unmoved, "And what did that tell you? What I've been trying to tell you?"

"Hardly." The Professor shifted in his chair, "I need to think this over a little longer...until I make a decision about you, Mr. Alvers, you are free to roam the campus. I'll let you know my decision soon. You're both dismissed."

After our informal goodbye, Lance followed me out of the door, and down the hall.

"So, what did you read, or whatever?"

"Everything, Lance. Do you really think this is some kind of a game? You are a major threat to our security here." I turned on him, "Stop following me, alright?"

He stopped, and shoved his hands deep into his pockets as I walked away.

I turned in early that night, in my own bed after Logan had become immune to my animal-like whimpers and my nuzzling, and tossed me out of his room...well, not really, but he wouldn't let met stay, reminding me that it was a school night.

Monday morning was hectic, everyone seemed to be running late after the exiting Homecoming weekend. Lance was leaning against my car when Rogue, Jubilee, Remy, and I walked out to the garage.

"What do you want?" I asked.

"The Professor said if I asked nicely, you might give me a ride." He uncrossed his arms, picking up his backpack from the ground, "So can I get a ride...pretty please?"

I sighed, and looked at the others, who shrugged, or ignored the problem completely and just got into the car, "I suppose. Get in... The back." I told him when he reached for the doorhandle at the same time as Remy.

He pursed his lips for a second before joining Jubilee and Rogue in the backseat.

Once we had reached school, everyone was talking about the football game, and huddling around Lance, who was back in action, with two casts, and a pair of crutches, as well as the dance, which I had no attended.

"It wasn't that great of a dance, if that makes you feel better." Rogue patted my shoulder, as I jerked my locker open.

"It's not the stupid dance." I told her, "It's just...there is to much going on."

"You need to relax...stop taking on so much." Rogue opened her own locker, and pulled out the books she needed for her first hour class, "Just remember...four weeks until Thanksgiving vacation."

I sighed, and followed her down the hallway where our classes were across from one another, my books held against my hip, "It's hard for me to say no... I mean... I'm popular here...it's weird. Back in New York, I was kind of a lurker."

"I can't imagine you as a lurker." Rogue shook her head, "Look, we'll talk more at lunch. I have to work on something in the computer lab, so I won't see you guys until later."

I nodded, watching her go into her classroom, while I turned to go into mine.

"Still pissed at me?" Lance leaned down on his crutches to whisper in my ear at the lunch table.

"Yes." I snapped.

He sat down, carefully, in the chair between Remy and I, "Alright, so I probably deserve it... But you could at least be kind of nice to me... I am injured."

"Whatever. If you want sympathy, go find one of your adoring fans."

He leaned on the table with his good arm, and looked at me, "What is this really about, Jo? What I said in the hospital, Saturday? Or something else?"

"Just...go away, okay?" I turned away from him, flipping open my Government text book.

"So you're just going to stay mad at me?" He asked.

I didn't answer him, and instead began discussing the assignment with Warren, who was working on the same thing.

Lance sighed, and turned towards the rest of the table, filled with Institute students, "How about the rest of you? Are you all pissed off at me too?"

"We're not pissed at you," Remy told him, "Remy don't even know you..."

"Oh, that makes me feel great." Lance shook his head.

"Lancie...What are you doing over here, with these...people." Saundra flounced down beside his chair, "Come sit with us...please?"

"No, I think I'm pretty comfortable right here." Lance told her.

"Please... I have fresh baked fudge brownies I just made in Culinary class..." She tempted him.

"I'm not all that hot for Chocolate, Saundra, but thanks for the thought."

She sighed, pouting, "C'mon."

"I'm fine, right here." he insisted.

"Fine...fine... whatever. You know where to find me if you change your mind, Lancie." She kissed him, and then flounced back the way she had come. I couldn't help the phlegm-sounding scoff I heaved after she was gone.

Warren held back his laugh, and continued what he was saying about the judicial system, just as Rogue sat heavily in the seat on the other side of Remy.

"What's the matter?" I asked her.

"I was in the computer lab, working on that project, and the computer froze up on me. I lost almost an hours worth of work." She sighed.

"I'm sorry. I'll help you out with it later." I tossed a Raspberry Zinger at her from my binder, "Here, this 'll make you feel better."

She half-heartedly opened the package, after pulling her gloves off to break the first into pieces.a

Lance looked frustrated between all of us, and then struggled to his feet, "Well, I hear some fudge calling my way. I hope all of you have a pleasant afternoon... Jo, I'll call you."

"Don't bother, I don't want to talk to you." I flipped the pages of my book, as he sighed, and walked away.

"Why are you bein' so hard on him? What did he do?" Rogue asked.

"He's just...being stupid." I flipped the Government book closed, and leaned back in my chair, "He won't talk to his parents about...that problem."

"Not all of us like sharing our problems with our parents, Jo." Kitty tilted her head to look at me, "Look at me, the only reason my parents know that stuff about me is because..well...it's hard to hide." She shrugged.

"It's pretty hard to hide my problems too." Rogue flexed her fingers at me.

"My parents are dead, so it doesn't matter." Warren shrugged.

I shook my head at all of them, "It's different for all of us, okay? He's already gone through his process with his brother once...he doesn't want a repeat of it. He doesn't understand that family is more then his parents."

"Stop making this _your _problem, Jo." Warren put his hand on my shoulder, "He'll come around, and see the error of his ways soon enough."

Thanksgiving break arrived, and I drove down to see my parents with Rogue as company. They had invited several of their friends, and a few other estranged relatives over for dinner. I had Rogue sit on the end of the table, where she was less likely to knock into someone, and next to me. I introduced her to the people I knew, and my mother took over introducing her to the others in the room.

"Darling, this is simply marvelous..." My Aunt Bethany, your average middle-aged social lite, smooched my mother on both cheeks, "The house looks simply divine -How ever did you find the time?"

"Oh, well, Joey and her friend Rogue have been absolutely essential in all of this. Stephan and I wouldn't have been able to pull it off without their help."

Aunt Bethany turned to us, Rogue slightly behind me to ward off any uncomfortable touching. She enveloped me into a hug, "Darling! How simply marvelous to see you! I hear you're going to school in Bayville now! How is that working out for you?"

"It's fine, Aunt Beth. How's Uncle Herman?" I asked.

"Oh, he's just fine...having a few problems with his hip...he's just parking the car now, actually. I'm sure he'll be ecstatic to see you... Stephan, my favorite brother!" She flew off in the direction of my father who was pouring himself another drink, just as my Uncle Herman came in. Uncle Herman was probably my favorite of my Uncles. He was related only through his marriage to Aunt Bethany, and found her as annoying as the rest of us did, but of course, he loved her, even with all of her annoying (and sometimes embarrassing) tendencies.

"Oh, Christy, it's wonderful to see you..." He gave my mother a loose hug, setting down the large white bags he carried, "I hope you don't mind, but I brought pie... My mother always said, never come empty handed... Oh, and I brought some excellent wine." He pulled the bottle out of the bag for my mother to inspect. I should also mention that Uncle Herman is a bit of a wino.

"How, how wonderful! Honey, why don't you take this stuff into the kitchen, huh?" She asked.

"I'll get it." Rogue volunteered, taking the bag carefully from my mother, and the bottle of wine, before squeezing her way through.

"Joey!" Uncle Herman hugged me tightly, "I haven't seen you in forever, kid! How you doin'?"

"I'm doin' fine, Uncle Herman. How are you?" I asked.

"I'm just dandy... Yer Dad said yer in Bayville now... what's up with that, huh?"

"I'm going to a school for...gifted students."

"That better mean yer smart, Kiddo."

I smiled, "Nothing less then perfect, Uncle Herman."

"That's good, that's good." He nodded, "Well, I better go save yer dad from my wife, before she talks his whole head off."

I nodded, watching him go.

"Well...this is a pretty good turn out, huh?" Mom asked, taking a break from her hostess position.

"Mom...it's Thanksgiving dinner...not a dinner party..."

"I know that, sweetie." She sighed, and waved her hand away, "I'm just saying... It's a good turn out... it's the whole family, and a couple of friends to boot... the perfect meal, right?"

"Sure Mom. I better go see if Rogue is okay."

"You go do that sweetie, she didn't look so good before. She doesn't like people much does she?"

I ignored her, and pushed my way through the people into the kitchen, which was quiet for the first time all day. Rogue was sitting on the counter, with a cup of water in her hand.

"Are you alright?" I asked.

"Yea, I'm fine... I just... I miss home, I guess. My Daddy would always make these huge thanksgiving dinners...even if it was only the two of us."

"You miss your parent's don't you?"

Rogue shrugged, "My Momma died a while after I was born, I never really knew her, except through pictures and stories my Daddy would tell me. He had this one picture of her, sitting on his night stand in a really pretty silver frame...and when I was I little, I'd crawl up on the bed next to him, and he'd put his arm around me, and take the picture out of the frame, and let me hold it, and he'd say, 'Annie...you look so much like yer Momma...you're gonna grow up and be just like her someday'. Well, we all see how that turned out." She shrugged, blinking back her tears, drinking out of her cup.

"I'm sorry Rogue." I jumped up onto the counter next to her.

"Oh, it's not your fault." She shrugged, "When I was thirteen I ran away from home. Daddy was drinking, and my powers were starting to show...I knew something was different when I would touch people, but it wasn't until I moved in with Irene and Mystique... I bet you didn't know that did you?" She turned to me, "That I lived with Mystique, I mean."

"No, didn't." I shook my head, "People don't tend to tell me other people's histories."

"After I ran away, Mystique found me, and helped me out. I was living with her when I kissed Cody, my first boyfriend. He's still in the coma." She turned to look at me, "Sometimes, if I think about it hard enough, I can still feel him in my head, that fright that just flooded him..." She turned away to look out of the window at the snow that was softly falling on the lawn outside.

We were quiet for a few minutes, and I just had to relieve the tense monotony, "So your name is Annie, huh? That is worse then Joey."

Rogue laughed, wiping the tears off of her face, "I told you it was bad... Daddy would call me Annie all the time...in front of everyone, all of my friends. It was so embarrassing... When I ran away, I came up with the name Rogue, and it just...it stuck."

"Oh, Joey, honey...would you check the turkey, please?" Mom stuck her head in through the door, "Oh, hon, what's going on in here?" She asked, "You girls okay?"

"Yea, we're fine Mom." I jumped down off of the counter, "I'll get the turkey. Go back to your guests."

"Alright...just yell if you need something."

After the door shut, Rogue turned to me, "So, why did you bring me this weekend and not Logan?"

"Because my Mom can't keep her hands off of Logan." I sighed, "And besides... I need some time away from him." I shrugged. "And he really needed some space from me." I moved towards the oven, opening it slowly, letting the smell of cooked turkey circulate the kitchen. I basted it while Rogue talked.

"You know...it has been awhile since he went on one of those trips of his... What's going on with that?"

"He knows know that I can tell wither he's lying to me or not. The last time he left, I had a premonition while he was gone that he was swilling beer in a bar... Turned out to be true."

Rogue winced, "Bad for Logan."

I shrugged, "I didn't care...I just... I didn't like that he couldn't tell me that he wanted some time away from me, that's all."

She was quiet for a few moments before a realization hit her, "Jo, do you realize you'll have been at the Institute for a year, tomorrow?"

I bit my lip, "Yea, I know."

"I never realized it before." Rogue tilted her head at me, "What happened?"

I shrugged, knowing perfectly well what she was talking about, "It's a long story, Rogue."

"We have time...the turkey still has another half hour to go, and lets face it...your family...kind of scary."

I shrugged, and moved over to the large white bags with the pies in them, taking them out to place them in the fridge, "I was friends with this girl named Riley, on the Debate team at my old school. She never told me, but she had a telekinetic power. I didn't know about my absorbing power yet, but a few nights before Thanksgiving, I accidently moved a salt shaker on the dinner table when my stepfather and mother were having an argument over something stupid like politics... Last year tonight, Daniel told me that we were going to go out to dinner at a really nice restaurant, and stay in a hotel for the night... That never happened. We were on the freeway, Daniel was driving, I was in the passenger seat, and my mother sat in the back. All of a sudden, in the middle of no where, in the beginning of a raging snow storm, he reached across the car, and opened my door, going almost seventy miles an hour. My Mom was the one who undid my seatbelt, and then both shoved me out of the car." I shrugged, and turned away.

"How can you even in be in the same house with her?" Rogue asked, "She could have killed you."

"It wasn't my Mom's fault, Rogue. It was Daniel's."

"Jo, I'm not trying to turn you against your Mom or anything, but... she is just as much to blame as Daniel is. They _both_ pushed you out of that car."

"It doesn't matter, Rogue. It was a year ago, and...look where I am now, huh?"

"You shouldn't pretend it didn't happen, Joanna."

"Look, Rogue... I've got it pretty good right now... both of my parents, a boyfriend who loves me, great friends, and school with people who understand me... Why can't I just leave it all at that, huh?" I asked.

"Jo, I'm just saying... maybe you shouldn't be so forgiving?"

"How ironic...you tell me on the day we're supposed to give thanks... C'mon, we'll talk about this later. I think I just heard my cousin's come in, I'll introduce you. You'll like Josephine."

Rogue put her cup in the sink, and followed me back out into the busy foyer.

_Rogue's POV_

"Jinx!" A pretty girl around fifteen with long black hair, and pale complexion threw her arms around Joanna's neck.

"Fina!" Joanna smiled, and flipped the girls long black hair back over her shoulder, "Did you dye your hair again?"

"Honey, I dye my hair once a week." She rolled her eyes, "What's happening? I haven't talked to you in, like, forever! Aunt Christy tried explaining something about it all to Mom, but it got lost in translation. C'mon, gimmie the short version."

"Basically...Daniel is an asshole, he and Mom got a divorce, I'm living in Bayville, but I'm visiting for the holidays while my boyfriend Logan recuperates from Mom's last visit. How about you?"

I was able to watch the two from a ways back, trying to avoid contact with people even though I had on a decent length sweater, a pair of jeans that Jo had helped me to pick out, and of course a pair of sporting gloves. 'Fina' seemed nice enough,

The girl's laughter tinkled like glass, "Oh, sweetie, it's simply been forever, and to much is going on... I'll have to get together with you after dinner, when we can be alone for a few minutes."

"Oh, Fina, this is my best friend Rogue. Rogue, this is my cousin Josephine."

"Nice to meet you Josephine." I shook her hand, watching her fingers avoid my exposed knuckles.

"Oh, please, call me Josie, everyone else does." She shook her head, and brushed her hair back behind her shoulder again, "So, you go to school in Bayville too?"

"Yea." I nodded. I wasn't used to social settings, and I was growing more and more uncomfortable by the minute. This was Joanna's life, not mine -always being in the spotlight, and being adored by everyone. I was the one who would lurk in the background, and pop up when I was needed.

"Not much of a talker is she?" Josie turned to Jo and raised an eyebrow.

"Um...look, Fina...lets go up stairs, and talk for a few minutes... Rogue, why don't you go see if my Dad needs some help keeping Uncle Herman from the bar?"

And I was dismissed. How obscenely typical. I sat in a comfortable chair on the corner, away from everyone, not trying to appear antisocial or unfriendly, but more unapproachable. I picked up a book from the shelf, and opened to a random page.

"Hey," Joanna knelt down on the floor in front of me, reminding me a of a puppy, "Sorry I'm deserting you... It's just been awhile since I saw the rest of my family."

"It's alright. I've been catching up on my... uh...whatever this is." I closed the book, and slid it back on the shelf, "So did you and _Fina_, have a nice chat, _Jinx_?" I asked.

"Oh gosh... That's a name I never thought would reach ears at the Institute..." She bowed her head, and covered her eyes with her palms, "Fina and I have pet names for each other. We're really the only kids in the family, so we've had these nicknames for each other since we were like five."

"I understand Fina, but Jinx?"

"Fina and I used to finish each other's sentences all of the time, and I would Jinx her...so I came to be known as Jinx." She shrugged, and looked over her shoulder at her family, still milling around the room, "I told her."

"Told who what?" I asked.

"I told Fina about _me_, silly!"

"Oh...and?"

"She was okay with it... I mean, I knew that Fina was cool, but... this is a really hard topic for a lot of people...she's really... well...Fina."

"I'm so glad for you." I leaned back in my chair, "You're getting your pants all dirty, sitting like that, Sugar."

"Oh, right... My Dad probably hasn't vacuumed in here for months." She laughed, standing and brushing off her knees, "C'mon...I think the turkey is almost done."

At dinner I sat at the coffee table with Josie and Joanna, deemed the 'kids table' by the two girls, while the 'grown-ups' had their own table in the main dining area.

"So, you both go to this...mutant school, huh?" Josie seemed really into the whole Mutant thing.

"Basically." I shrugged, "I mean, that's not what we call it... We go to a normal high school, just like anyone else...we just have an extra study, that's all."

"So, what do you do?" Josie asked me.

I was quiet for a moment.

"Why don't you show her?" Joanna asked, pulling a piece of turkey apart with her fork.

"I don't want to hurt her, Jo..." I whispered.

"No, not on her! I don't my cousin to end up in the hospital. Do it on me." She looked over her shoulder into the dinning room where the adults were laughing and drinking the bottle of wine that Uncle Herman had provided. She carefully lifted Josie's unused spoon into the air, and held out her bare hand to mine. I shed my glove, and touched our fingers together. The only thing I felt was the surge of telekinetic power surging through my fingers. I took over the levitation of the spoon when Joanna stopped contact with it, held it for a few seconds, and then let it drop softly back onto her napkin.

Josie looked confused, "...So...you can do...what?"

"I borrow a person's life source." I told her, "If I touch another mutant, I borrow their powers for a short time -if their mutation is physical, I take on their form."

"And what is it that you do?" Josie turned to Joanna.

"I absorb power. When Rogue touches a person, she takes their life force...if she was to touch you, even for a few seconds, she could take years off of your life and put you into a coma. With mutants, she borrows, she immobilizes the person from whom she borrows from... I however, absorbing a power, can call on it at any time, and I have no ill effect on normal persons."

"Right..." Josie nodded, "I'll never understand this, but okay." She shrugged.

I pulled my glove back on, "It's pretty complicated, don't feel bad. I don't even understand it sometimes."

"And this school you go to..."

"The Xavier Institute. It's a place where we learn to control our powers." Joanna began to mix some of her foods together on her plate.

"And what kind of other powers are there out there?" Josie asked.

"Fina, what's this sudden interest in mutations?" Joanna asked.

"I'm just taking an interest in your life, Jinx... Fine, we don't have to talk about it anymore. Tell me about your boyfriend... What was his name?"

"Logan."

"And...is he cute?"

Normal girl talk. Something I had never been able to participate much in before. My only real boyfriend had been Cody, and look what had happened to him? Sure, I was taking a liking to Remy LeBeau, but that could never lead anywhere. I couldn't ever have what Joanna had with Logan. My power suddenly seemed to suck, a lot.

I listened to what Joanna was saying about Logan. I was envious about what she had with him. I was envious about everything Jo shared with people. I was cursed to be this bystander in life, and a lonely bystander at that.

"How about you?" Josie turned to me, snapping me out of my pit of self-loathing, "Do you have a certain someone?"

"It's kind of hard to have a...certain someone when you can't touch 'im." I told her. I didn't mean to snap at her, but I'm sure I sounded rude.

"Rogue... That's not true... You just went out with Remy."

"Oh... Remy, huh? Interesting names...sounds like quite the catch."

"Remy is a thief and a liar -two things that I don't want to be associated with."

"That was before, Rogue. Remy is one of the good guys now..."

"Oh really? Then why is he torturing Jubilee all of the time? They can hardly sit in the same car with each other."

"You don't seem to have a problem sitting in the same car as Remy LeBeau..."

"Alright, fine... So I like the guy, but that doesn't mean anything's gonna happen with him. I'm not going to put him in a coma like I did the last time I kissed a guy." I sighed. "So I went to the Homecoming dance with him, and we saw a movie last weekend...big deal."

"And he also asked to the Nondenominational Winter Dance..."

"I didn't say yes though, did I? And look who asked you? Half of the senior class."

Joanna leaned back against the couch behind her, "Alright, so I'm popular... that doesn't mean I'll go. I'll end up going to the dance with Lance Hang anyway."

"Am I missing something?" Josie asked. I realized she was still sitting through our tennis match, "Whose Lance Hang?"

"Lance Hang is Joanna's version of a 'school boyfriend', where as Logan is her 'everywhere else boyfriend'."

"He is not my boyfriend at all." She shook her head, "And besides, I still haven't completely forgiven him from homecoming."

"Oh, the one person you could probably stand to give some forgiveness too, and you won't let go." I rolled my eyes.

"Hey, he was being a total jackass, okay?"

"...I think I'm going to go get seconds...when I come back, can we have this little spat resolved? 'Cause I'm lost." Josie stood up, picking up her empty plate as well.

"Sorry, Fina. We'll try not to fight." Joanna called after her as she exited towards the kitchen, "I'm sorry Rogue."

"It's not your fault." I sighed, "I'm the one picking the fight. It's not my business."

"It is your business... Everything I do affects you too, even if it doesn't seem like it does. I'm sorry." She looked at me sympathetically, "Can we call a truce? At least until we get back to school?"

"Of course." I nodded, "I can't fight with you anyway, you're my own source to the outside world."

When Josie came back and made herself comfortable at the table, she spoke up, "So...we have to give you a fun nickname too... Welcome you to the family and everything."

I raised my eyebrow at Joanna.

"Fina is big on nicknames. Everyone she knows has one...even if they don't know it."

"I suppose Skunk is totally out of the question, huh?" Josie tapped her chin.

"You could say that..." I nodded, "I don't think I want to have someone yelling 'Skunk' at me across a crowded room...anywhere. And besides," I pulled a lock of white hair out in front of my face, "My white streaks are on either side of my face, not down the part."

"True..." She nodded, "I think I'm going to have to think on this one... get to know you a little better."

"You know, Rogue already kind of...is a nickname...why don't we just leave it at that?" I asked.

"Oh, poo...you're not any fun at all." Josie shook her head, her long hair falling over her shoulders again.


	16. Chapter 16

1A/N: This chapter is painfully short...pathetically short at only five pages. This is the end, and it probably seems very abrupt, but it will all come clear in the sequal, which I am currently working on, and will be posted along side this one when it is finished (which could be awhile as this one took me...oh, what? Four, five months?). I hope you all enjoyed this, and if you didn't, well...at least I gave you something to bitch about, right? Drop me a line, and tell me what you thought, and remember to review!

Chapter Sixteen

"So, what did you think of Josie?" Joanna asked as we washed dishes that night and Stephan and Christy saw all of their guests off with promises of Christmas parties and dinner dates.

"She was nice." I shrugged, drying a plate and stacking it on the counter next to the others.

"...That's all?" Joanna asked, "You didn't like her?"

"I'm not saying that... I just...she was nice. I don't tend to get attached to people I don't see on a regular basis, Jo." I shrugged, taking another plate out of the drying rack.

"But you liked her, right?"

"Well sure." I shrugged, "What's going on here? Why do you want me to like her so much?"

"Because... Aunt Stephanie and Uncle Kelvin are moving...north...to Bayville. My mom told them what a wonderful place it was, and so they went scouting up there and found a really beautiful house out in the country, and...so they're moving in January, right before second semester starts."

"So I have to see this girl all of the time?" I asked.

"Well, not unless you really _want_ too... I thought you liked her? I was hoping you'd like her."

"I do...I just... She seemed like kind of a...a snob."

"She is a snob, Rogue. She's New York City royalty compared to us. Aunt Stephanie is an up-and-coming fashion designer, and Uncle Kelvin is an editor for the Journal. She's always gotten everything she's ever wanted, and more. She's spoiled, but I love her anyway."

I shrugged, and finished drying the dishes at Christy burst into the kitchen all a flutter, which was typical of Christy being a twit and a drama queen.

"Well, tonight was really spectacular, wasn't it girls?" She asked, "Oh, and we have one of Uncle Herman's pies left... That'll be a fantastic late-night snack later, I'm sure. And of course all of the other left overs... Goodness, where does the time go! It seemed just yesterday I was lying in front of a fan, wishing I had bought that pool, and all of a sudden we've got dumped with snow, and I'm up to my knees in turkey!"

Joanna sighed, and drained the sink before filling the pan we had roasted the turkey in with soapy water to soak over night.

"Oh, Darlings, you didn't have to do the dishes... I would have gotten to them eventually... Well, let me put them away at least. You two have been such a wonder today..." She picked up the pile of plates and walked them over to the beside the fridge, placing the good china carefully on the shelf, "So, Joey, how is Josie doing?"

"She's fine." Jo shrugged, wiping down the counter with her wet wash cloth as her mother came back for the glasses, pinching four of them together in each hand.

"Did she tell you her fantastic news?"

"She told me they were moving to Bayville, if that's what you mean." Joanna shrugged, flipping the cloth over the partition in the sink, and leaning against the now spotless counter top.

"Aren't you pleased?" Christy turned from stacking the second round of glasses in the cabinet.

"It's really not a state of being pleased Mom. I mean, Aunt Stephanie and Uncle Kelvin are going to move to Bayville wither I like it or not." Joanna shrugged.

I was drying the last of the dishes, trying not to listen to their discussion as Stephan walked in, picking up a second towel and joining me to finish drying the dishes while Joanna and Christy talked, growing louder.

"Maybe we should go out into the den..." Stephan suggested, nudging me towards the door. I followed him obediently, letting the kitchen door swing back and forth behind us.

"So, did you have a good time?" Stephan asked, going to the bar, "Would you like something to drink? I've got Ginger Ale and Coke if you're interested, or I have some bottled water." He filled a glass with ice, then opened a bottle of scotch, pouring it thinly over the ice.

"No thanks, I'm fine." I told him, sitting down in a chair in front of his desk after he motioned me into the chair, "I really like your...office. It's very...leather." I leaned back in the plushy chair.

Stephan laughed, "My last girlfriend was an interior designer. This room drove her mad, so before breaking up with me, she re-did my office. If you ask me, I got the better part of the whole deal." He leaned back in his swivel chair, "So...tell me about yourself. You've been in my house twice, and I only know your name, and that you go to school in Bayville."

"I'm from Mississippi... That's really all there is to me, besides what you know." I shrugged.

"Oh, c'mon...there has to be more to 'Rogue' then that. What do you like to do? What do you aspire to do?"

"I guess...I like what normal girls like..." I shrugged, "I'm not really a people person, but it's not that I got nuthin' against anyone... I suppose I'll spend the rest of my life doin' what I do now at the Institute... Be part the team, stay on as mentor after high school, maybe go to college, get a degree in something useful."

"Like what?" Stephan asked. I didn't like it when adults asked such hard questions.

"I don't know... Maybe law. No one from Xavier's has gotten a law degree yet... We've got doctors, and scientists, but no lawyers." I shrugged, "I think we got a cosmotologist too, but we don't talk about her much."

"Useful people to have around." He nodded, "You ever think about writing?"

"Like as a career?"

"Sure... I always try to lead people to writing, it's a habit." He moved from his chair, and went to pick up a book from the shelf, "I got my very first story published when I was about your age. I read it now, and I see it for the crap that it really is." He flipped through, and showed me the title page. _The Dark Night_, by Stephan Darius, right there in bold print.

"What do you write now?" I asked, taking the book from him, to read the summary, "This is obviously historical."

"Oh...over the years, I've written a little bit of everything... Comedy, Romance, Screenplay, poetry, historical, Fantasy, Mystery... Now I'm into science fiction. I'm getting a book I just finished published in the Science Fiction Journal by monthly installment. Not what I had originally planned, but I made sure in the contract that I added the clause that I could still choose to publish the novel in full, should I find a publisher." He shrugged, and took the book back when I handed it to him. He closed it, and stuck it back on the shelf, "Otherwise, I do a lot of freelance stories for magazines. There is actually a very wide public for creative writing, you just need to find the right place." He took his seat back behind the desk, "I was thinking about getting into a realism phase. Maybe Young Adult novels."

"That sounds really interest-." I turned suddenly when we heard the banging of pots and pans cluttering to the floor.

"We better go check that out." Stephan stood up, pushing back his chair. I pulled off my gloves just in case, rushing out of the door first, and stopping in the doorway of the kitchen. Joanna was picking up the pans from the floor, throwing them back into the sink noisily, Christy was gulping down a bottle of wine.

"What's going on?" Stephan asked, squeezing past me as I pulled my gloves back on.

"Nothing, Stephan, Darling." Christy thumped the bottle back onto the counter, "I'm just a terrible woman and mother...that's all."

"I never said that, okay?" Joanna turned on her.

"Whoa, okay... Joey, why don't you and Rogue go up stairs, and go to bed, and I'll take care of your mother, alright?" Stephan stood between them. I saw Joanna trying to surpress the little green wisps of fury that kept curling around her hands.

"C'mon, Jo." I tugged on her arm, taking the last pan from her hands, and placing it on the counter, "We'll go talk..."

Joanna pulled away, "I want to leave."

"Jo, it's almost midnight...we can't leave right now."

"Look, I don't want to stay here, okay?"

"Don't worry sweetheart, I'll leave." Christy pushed between us, out of the door to grab her coat, "Stephan, where are my car keys!"

"Oh shit..." Stephan sighed, turning to Joanna, "Alright...you girls, stay here, okay? I'm going to go drive your Mom home, and I will back...but don't wait up."

"Dad...I just..." Joey was silenced by a swift kiss on her forehead, and she sighed, leaning against the doorway of the kitchen, sliding down to the floor. After I heard the front door closed, I sank down beside her.

"What's going on?" I asked.

"I realized how right you were. You forced me to think about what happened to me...as much as I tried to ignore it, so that I could have my normal, safe, happy family again... It just...it doesn't work out that way, does it Rogue?" Joanna shook her head, "My mother did something unforgivable to me...and I just...I let it go. How could I do that?"

"It's part of who you are, Jo. You forgive people. You're like a Saint or something."

"I am no saint, Rogue. You were so right. I forgave her way to easy. Divorcing Daniel is one thing... Divorcing Daniel, and shoving me out of a car at over sixty-five miles an hour before that is something completely different... And she hasn't changed at all. She's still this annoying, big haired, twit that she has always been." Joanna shook her head.

"It could be worse, Jo. I mean... I don't have anyone, but you have a Dad who loves you, a boyfriend who would die for you, and your Mom...she's tried to make things all right between the two of you. Sure, she did all of that, but... she could still be with Daniel."

Joanna sighed, closing her eyes, and leaning her head back against the frame, "I am just...so tired."

"C"mon, lets get you off to bed." I stood up, and then held out my hands to help her up, "And we'll head out early tomorrow morning if you still want to get out of here so bad.

_No POV_

The first week of December passed quickly, followed by the second. Rogue and Joanna found themselves shopping together for gifts again. The two planned to spend their holiday at the Institute rather then to accept Joanna's mother's invitation to a Christmas Party, and stay at her father's house. Joanna was still not speaking with her mother by the time Christmas vacation rolled around, and everyone's gifts were neatly wrapped, and under the tree, save for one gift.

Rogue and Joanna were a classier part of the Bayville mall, scrutinizing an array of cashmere sweaters.

"What do you think Logan will look best in? It isn't bad to give him the same thing I gave him last year, is it?" Joanna asked Rogue.

"Not when he looked so good in the first... and besides, he needs a new one. He wears the other one all of the time."

Joanna sighed, "I don't know... Logan is so hard to shop for in the first place. Should we go with basic black?"

"I was thinking the midnight blue..." Rogue crossed her arms. The sales girl heaved a sigh, but didn't make any other verbal complaint.

"Oh, I rather like that one... but I love him green... It really brings out his eyes."

Rogue shrugged, "Well, you're the one who has to see him in it, not me. Do as you will." In the end, Joanna ended up buying the midnight blue...just for future reference.

The day started out like any normal day. Joanna woke to squeals in the hall, and thumping on the staircase. Logan groaned in her ear, and hugged her closer. Christmas morning was very different from what it had been the year before, and she was reminded of what the last year had been full of... Tragedy, romance, romance put on hold, teen angst, broken hearts, romance taken off the back burner, dates, parties, people, shopping, family...

"Everyone else is up, I think, Logan." She patted his hand which rested lightly on her hip.

He growled, turning his face away into his pillow, "Good for all of them, darlin'."

"C'mon, Logan." She pressed a kiss to his scraggly cheek, and slipped out of the bed, pulling her robe from the floor, and wrapping it around herself over her pajamas. She watched him sit up in bed before she pulled the door shut quietly behind her.

"Ah, and where is Logan?" Professor Xavier looked out from his garland-decked wheel chair.

"He's just getting up Professor." She sat on the floor on the side of the couch next to Rogue, "Morning."

"Hey." She stretched, her feet covered in a pair of multicolored socks, her robe pulled tightly around her.

After Logan, and the rest of the remaining students joined them in the living room, they opened gifts.

"How original." Logan opened Joanna's gift, one of his few, holding up the sweater.

"You don't like it?"

"I love it." He squeezed her hand.

She smiled, and leaned against him to open the last of her gifts.

The rest of the day seemed to go virtually normal...Gambit was terrorizing Jubilee, Rogue was attempting peace-keeper, Lance Alvers was stalking Joanna, Warren moped in the kitchen, Kitty and Kurt played video games in the rec room, and of course...a snowball fight. It wasn't until late afternoon when everyone was beginning to unwind that the Professor's call sent them all into action.

Mystique was up to her old tricks... She had gone to the Muir Island Facility, and broken out not only Magneto but Jaggernaut as well, Professor Xavier's nearly unstoppable brother.

The trio, joined by Victor Creed (Sabertooth), Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch, Toad, and Blob were going to be a tough match against the X-Men, which besides the normal crew of Sundry, Wolverine, Cyclops, Jean, Rogue, Nightcrawler, Shadowcat, Angel, Gambit, and Storm, included Jubilee and Avalanche as trainees.

They met on a moor on one side of the island facility. Everything moved quickly, Logan went after Sabertooth, more then willing to settle an old rivalry. The others dispersed together, and in pairs to fend off others. Joanna was left with Magneto.

"So we meet again." Magneto bowed.

"So we do." She nodded, "Shall we make this quick and get you back into your tank, or would you like to enjoy the smell of freedom a while longer?"

"Oh please." A wave of his hand sent her flying backwards, a magnetic field flinging her backwards.

"You really shouldn't tempt me, old man." She growled. The force field she then created would repel other magentic forces around herself. Magneto raised an eyebrow at her.

"You're learning to use that very well...I'm so glad."

"So, what is like being locked up in a tank and knowing that an eighteen year old girl put you there?" She asked, cocking her head to the side, "This is going to get very old, very fast..."

"It's very boring actually." He pondered, "If you had just cooperated in the first place, none of this would have had to happen, my dear."

"I would never help you with what you do." She shook her head.

"Well, since we are at a stalemate, perhaps we should find other...opprotunities... you may want to help that boyfriend of yours." He gave her a sly smirk, raising into the air.

_Joanna's POV_

I turned, Logan was trapped underneath Sabertooth, was trash talking, the only thing he was really good at. I strode over, ignoring the other fighting going on. It didn't take much of an effort to put Sabertooth out of comission, throwing him backwards.

"Thanks, darlin', but I could have managed." Logan got to his feet, and cricked his neck.

I smiled, and shook his head, "Magneto is gone."

"Well, why'd you let him go?" He asked.

"I couldn't do anything." I shook my head. It seemed strange. I could hear the rumbles, the screeches, the grunts, and growls...but all I could focus on was Logan. I loved him, and yet... I couldn't do it anymore. Suddenly, everything seemed to pointless. I turned. A wave of my hand pulled everyone apart, and everyone was frozen in their various stances.

"What the hell is going on?" Quicksilver yelled, "Put me down!"

"Sundry, what's the matter?" Storm asked, trying to reason with me.

"You're all so pointless." I whispered, "What are you all fighting for? Magneto is gone, and you're still here fighting your own separate battles for your own selfish reasons. I just..." I dropped them all to the ground safely and they looked at me, confused, "I just can't do it anymore."

And I left, with no clue as to where I was going, or what I would do.


End file.
